Seeing You There
by S10StarWarsFan
Summary: Finn was never a fan of New York City, but he finds that he is liking it a whole lot more now that he knows Rey. -A Modern FinnRey story based on the song "Seeing You There"
1. Chapter 1 - An Unusual Sunday Morning

**A/N** \- Hello again! So, I was listening to the song "Seeing You There" by Josh Young, and this idea for a modern FinnRey story suddenly planted itself in my brain. After that, it snowballed from there and became a story that I am really loving. It is goofy and maybe a little stupid, but it is fluffy and happy, which is what we need this time of year. So, please sit back, relax, and enjoy this multi-chapter fic called "Seeing You There".

 **Disclaimer** : I do not own Star Wars or any recognizable characters. I do not own the song "Seeing You There" either – it's from a musical. I only own my oc Eve Antiles and I have the permission to use my friend's oc Xyva Coral

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 **Seeing You There - A Finnrey Story**

Chapter 1 – An Unusual Sunday Morning

Finn's POV

New York City definitely is… well, an acquired taste. Many people live here all their lives, content with the hectic life, and then there are some that live here because they have to. I am, rather unfortunately, one of the latter. I do like the city with all of its hidden gems, but I am not a fan of all the noise. I prefer a nice, quiet place in the country where I don't have to worry about taxi drivers yelling at me for walking on the crosswalk even though the light says "walk".

I open my eyes one Sunday morning to smell the strong scent of coffee brewing in the kitchen. I look over at the clock and see that it is a little before nine. I frown a little in confusion. Poe Dameron, my best friend and roommate, must already be up, which is odd. Sunday is the only day of the week that Poe has off, so he never likes getting up early unless he absolutely has to. I, on the other hand, am usually the early riser and the one who puts the coffee on. I quickly get out of bed and get dressed before I open my door and walk out into the living area. If Poe is up already on a Sunday morning, then something must be wrong.

To my surprise, Poe is not alone out in the kitchen. Poe is sitting on a barstool at the island, grumbling about something as Eve Antilles, Poe's girlfriend, pours him a cup of coffee and slides it across the island to him. Eve is an actress, but she worked as a mechanic before her acting career took off. And yet, she has never really left the mechanic world behind as she still fixes things for people all the time. Eve is a genius at solving any problems that have to do with machines or electronics. She was the most popular mechanic at the shop she used to work at, which is where Poe and Eve actually met.

Poe has never gone easy on his vehicles, so his car often needs to be fixed. One morning, he was out driving when his car's engine suddenly died. Luckily, his car happened to die right outside an auto shop, which happened to be the shop where Eve worked. Poe's first impression of her was that she was an angel, covered in grease and all. Eve's first impression was that Poe was a vain, reckless idiot. Personally, I don't think she was that far off and I honestly question her sanity now that she is dating him, but she seems to love him. She's also a great friend, so I'm glad that she's going to be around for a long time.

Anyways, Eve looks up at me and smiles, grabbing another mug out of the cabinet to pour me some coffee. I gratefully take the mug from her and drink some of the coffee. It is the perfect thing to wake me up for the day. Now that I am once again aware of my surroundings, I remember that it is a Sunday morning and I look over at Eve with a frown on my face.

"Don't take this the wrong way, Eve, but what are you doing here?" I ask and she chuckles.

"Well good morning to you too!" She says far too cheerily for a weekend morning and Poe groans.

"I am so sorry, Finn. This is all my fault. I promised to take her to the market before our lunch today and now I really regret it!" He groans again, letting his head drop on the table as Eve smiles triumphantly.

"And I'm not going to let you talk your way out of your promise today, Poe. I really need to get down there." Poe lets out an anguished cry and Eve shoves another mug of coffee at him, taking his first cup, which is now empty. I laugh at the pair.

"Eve, if you don't mind me asking, why do we have to go down to the market so early? Surely if we head down to the market by 11:00 you would have loads of time before we go to eat?" I ask, hopefully, and Eve shakes her head.

"I'm sorry Finn, really I am, but I need to be down there by 10:00 at the latest. Maz Kanata contacted me about some problems she has been having with her favourite car and she only trusts me to fix it. She needs it done before noon and, since I don't know how long it will take, I need to get down there early."

"Why noon? I thought her stall was open all day." I ask and she shrugs.

"Apparently Maz has a lunch date with Chewie. You know, the guy who sells all the fur pelts and coats?" I nod and Poe, finally having enough caffeine in his system, looks up and starts laughing.

"Maz, the clutter bug, and Chewie, the walking carpet? Hilarious!" I shake my head at the nicknames Maz and Chewie have picked up. Maz is known as the "clutter bug" because she refuses to get rid of anything that she feels could be used again. And Chewie… well, his nickname is kind of obvious, considering what he sells for a living. After a minute, Eve speaks up again.

"So, are we going to head out now? Or are we going to wait ten more minutes so that you can complain and I can yell at you?" At her playful words, Poe lets out a dramatic sigh.

"All right, all right! We'll go now. Just remember, I expect payment for this _great_ sacrifice on my part!" I roll my eyes. Poe really should consider a career in acting. He could just banter with Eve for a living! Eve, however, barely blinks as she smiles, pulling a McDonald's gift card out of her wallet.

"I figured you'd say that, so how about I pay for the McDonald's breakfast run this morning?" Eve barely finishes her question before Poe jumps off the barstool, grabs his keys from the counter, and is standing by the door, jacket slung over his shoulder.

"Well? What are we waiting for? Those Golden Arches are calling me!"

Not bothering to wait for a response, Poe opens the door and races down the hallway. I look over at Eve, who simply shakes her head. We both walk over to the door and slip on our shoes before we step out into the hallway. I lock the door to our apartment and I notice Eve pull the doorknob on her apartment across the hall to ensure that it is locked.

Conveniently enough, Eve lives in the apartment right across from Poe and myself. We first found this out when Poe accidentally went over other door by mistake. The apartment owners, stupidly, decided to give all the apartments on one side of each hall a set of numbers and all the apartments on the other side the same numbers with some letters added onto the front. Poe and I live in apartment 2187 and Eve lives in apartment AA2187. Eve's best friend Xyva lives in the apartment with her and, apparently Eve's sister moved in with them recently as well. They both say that her sister moved in six months ago, but we have yet to meet her. Sometimes I think that I see a blur, but I am starting to wonder if it is all my imagination.

"So… how is your sister, Eve?" I ask and she sighs.

"I know what you're thinking, Finn, but Rey really does exist." We start walking down the hallway towards the stairs and I raise my eyebrows a little.

"It's just a little hard to believe that someone else lives with you when she has been here for what, six months now? And we still haven't even seen her. It seems a little hard to believe that we always just miss seeing her."

"Just give her some more time. One of these days, she will be home when you come visit. She does want to meet you – she's just a little shy of strangers." Eve says carefully and I frown.

"She is shy? I thought you said she's in the show business industry. How does that work out?" I ask and Eve looks down, sadly.

"She grew up in a rough place and had to mature at an early age. She just doesn't trust easily."

"I thought you said that she was your sister? Didn't you grow up together?" I ask raising an eyebrow at her and she shakes her head, sighing.

"Actually, no. My parents adopted her when she was five - she had ran away from an abusive home and ended up with us. When she first arrived in our house, she hid away in her room for hours on end. And then, she suddenly burst into my room one day and latched onto me, not wanting to let go. We have been really close ever since. She has opened up a lot since then - she used to only talk to my family - but she still is a little shy around total strangers. Just be patient - it shouldn't be too much longer."

We reach the bottom of the stairs and I hold open the door for her to walk through. I walk towards the car and get in the backseat, thinking about Eve just told me about this Rey. I totally understand what it is like to be in her shoes. I spent my childhood being moved between foster homes until I ended up at the Dameron household. Kes and Shara Dameron always treated me like their own son and I still go visit them often. I was lucky to end up with such a good family, but most kids weren't as lucky. From what Eve just told me, it sounds like Rey had just as rough a time as I did until she ended up with Eve's family. Well, if we ever get to meet her, maybe I can help her by being able to relate to her in a way no one else can. After the Damerons took all that time to help me, I want to be able to help someone else.


	2. Chapter 2 - Market on 10th

**A/N** \- Here is the second chapter of my story. This chapter has more of Poe and Eve at their best and Rey is introduced in this chapter. I am hoping to get the third chapter up by tomorrow because it is about Christmas, and it is nice to have a Christmas chapter actually posted by Christmas! Also, feel free to leave a review or a favourite if you feel so inclined. I love getting feedback. So, once again, sit back, relax, and enjoy this chapter!

 **Disclaimer** : I don't own Star Wars, the characters, the songs, or the vine reference in this chapter. They all belong to their owners and I am using Xyva with permission from my friend. I just own Eve, my oc, and the craziness/fluffiness that my mind creates.

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 **Chapter 2 – Market on 10th**

Finn's POV

"I have never spent that much at McDonald's in one visit and I never will again." Eve grumbles as she reads over the rather long receipt in her hand before looking up to glare at Poe.

"So, you got a little more than usual. I'm hungry!" He retorts and she raises an eyebrow at him.

"Poe, this isn't a 'little more' food. This is enough to feed the Spanish Armada!" At this, he shrugs and she throws the receipt into the air in frustration. "You are so lucky that I love you."

The air conditioning catches the receipt and blows it over to Poe, who grabs it as he stops at the stop light. He passes the receipt to Eve, who quickly puts it into her wallet, refusing to look at him. Poe leans over the middle console of the car and kisses Eve on the cheek before offering her a hash brown as a peace offering. Eve looks up at him and smiles, taking the hash brown and squeezing his hand in thanks. The light turns green and Poe accelerates the car, holding onto the steering wheel with his left hand so that he could continue holding Eve's hand with his right. I smile at the sight in front of me. Although these two sometimes seem an odd couple, they really care about each other.

Not long after that, we arrive at the market. Eve jumps out of the passenger seat and runs over to a stall called Maz' Curios. Maz looks excited to see her and practically drags Eve off to fix the car. I raise my eyebrow and look at Poe, who is chuckling. We both get out and walk over to the car parked behind the stall to find Eve already working on the engine. Maz, a very short, middle aged woman, is sitting on a crate next to the car, asking for an update on the state of the engine every minute or so. I honestly wonder sometimes how Eve has the patience to do all these little odd jobs for people.

In an amazingly short amount of time, Eve pops her head out from under the hood of the slightly battered 1980s Beetle and looks over at Maz.

"That should do the trick. Maz, try starting the engine." The short woman climbs into the car and turns the ignition. The engine roars to life and Eve shuts the hood and steps back, smiling proudly at the old car.

"Thanks, Eve! Feel free to pick out something nice from my stand."

Maz calls out as she drives over to Chewie, who is just closing up his stall. Chewie is a tall and hairy man that looks like he would fit in well with a biker gang or something else like that. He is about seven feet tall so, compared to Maz' four feet in height, they look a little comical together. However, if they are happy, who am I to laugh? Chewie gets into the car and, for a second, I am questioning whether he will fit inside, but he does and Maz soon drives off at a speed that would be sure to get her a fairly large fine if the police were around. I look over at Poe and Eve, about to say something that I forget as soon as I get a good look at them. Eve has one of her you-will-probably-hate-me-for-this-but-I'm-doing-it-anyways looks on her face and Poe has a completely horrified look on his. I suddenly feel really uneasy, probably with good cause.

"So," I clear my throat awkwardly and they look over at me. "are we going out for an early lunch now?" I ask, rather hopefully, but I feel like I already know the answer.

"Since I finished early, I am going to take a look around at the different stalls. I love seeing what they have here!" Eve says and Poe and I look at her in horror.

"Shop here? You can't be serious! This place is like a yard sale heaven! The only things you will find here are piles of junk or things that are so old they will disintegrate in your hands!" Poe exclaims and Eve folds her arms against her, rolling her eyes.

"Eve, will you really find anything worth buying here? I know that not everything is _that_ old -" I say, giving a pointed look to Poe, "- but surely there are some places much nicer than this." I try to reason with her, but she shakes her head.

"It's not as bad as it looks. Xyva, Rey, and I often come down here to look around and we have found many little gems. Not everything is nice, but a lot of it is if you actually take the time to look. Now, come on guys, it won't kill you to take a look around with me."

"Well, what if it does?" Poe calls out with a smug look on his face as Eve turns around, rather unimpressed.

"Then I guess you won't have to meet my family this Christmas." She states and Poe's eyes widen even further in fear.

"Christmas! That's only in a couple of weeks… I'm meeting your family in a couple of weeks?" He cries out and Eve rolls her eyes.

"Yes. After all, I met your parents last week for Thanksgiving. Typically, once the girl meets the boy's family, the boy will do the same for the girl's family. It is a common courtesy so that the girl's family knows that her boyfriend isn't a complete and total jerk. It also works in the boy's favour because it helps him get into their good books. So, yes, you are meeting my family in a couple of weeks."

Poe looks over at her for a second before he runs out into the middle of the street, yelling "I'm done. Hit me! Hit me with your car!" People are looking over, amused, and Eve looks like she is contemplating doing what Poe is asking. I shake my head, trying not to laugh, as I walk over and grab Poe by the arm, directing him over to the stall that Eve is at.

"Okay, so a couple of things you need to do. First, you need to try to stop shouting vines out at the top of your lungs. Second, you really need to apologize to Eve. The fact that she is even still with you makes me believe in miracles." I get a dirty look from Poe, but I simply shrug. "Family is nothing to be afraid of. Just don't be a total imbecile and you'll be fine."

"Finn, do you think you could come to? You know, strength in numbers?" He asks rather hopefully and I shake my head.

"No can do. If you don't remember, I wasn't invited. I really don't want to crash a family event and give you a bad name." I smile, gently pushing him towards Eve. He clears his throat and says something quietly to her, which she responds with a sharp glare. He slouches a little and says something else, which obviously helps because she smiles up at him and he wraps his arms around her. Deciding not to crash their moment, I look around the market for somewhere else to go. Suddenly, my eyes land on someone and my heart skips a beat.

Over at the fresh produce stall, there is a young woman with dark brown hair looking around at the vegetables. She pauses her search, looks up, and our eyes lock. She has the most beautiful brown eyes I have ever seen and when she smiles, it takes my breath away. This probably sounds incredibly cheesy, but I feel as though I have fallen in love with her at first sight. Yeah… totally crazy.

I am so busy looking at her that I don't notice the person creeping up behind her until they try to grab her purse. She breaks eye contact with me for the first time since she first looked up and whirls around, punching the man in the face. I run over to help her, but I quickly realize that she doesn't need any help as she manages to flatten the pick pocket and, from the looks of it, break his nose. Two of the vendors come over and pull the man away while she straightens her clothes and lets out a deep breath. She turns back to the stall and starts a little when she realizes that, instead of being six stalls away from her, I am right on the opposite side of the stall to her. She bites her lip and looks down awkwardly.

"Um, hi." She says quietly and I smile.

"Hi. Nice work you did there. That was really impressive." I say, motioning over to where the pick pocket was just waking up and she smiled a little.

"Thanks." Before she can say anything else, we hear a voice cry out.

"Rey! Oh my gosh, are you all right? I saw him grab you and then you punched him out! That was so amazing! Oh, I am so proud of you!" Eve barely seems to breathe as she runs over to us, dragging Poe behind her. The girl, who I guess is Rey, moves towards Eve, who abruptly lets go of Poe and causes him to nearly trip over his own feet. Rey hugs Eve before stepping back.

"I'm all right, Eve. You don't need to worry about me." She says and Eve shakes her head.

"Rey, you are my little sister. It is my job to look out for and worry about you." Eve says seriously and the two girls starts laughing. Suddenly, everything connects in my mind.

"Wait a second, you're Eve's sister?" I say, sounding incredibly stupid, but I honestly don't quite know what to think. Rey smiles and Eve suddenly looks really excited.

"Yes! Finn, this is my sister. Rey, you've already met Poe, but this is a very good friend and his name is Finn." She says, pretty much shoving Rey towards me while Poe shoves me towards Rey. Part of me is amazed that we don't crash into each other, but we both stumble a bit. She smiles at me, nervously, and I clear my throat, extending my hand to her.

"Hi, I'm Finn." I say and she smiles, taking my hand.

"I'm Rey."


	3. Chapter 3 - Christmastime

**A/N:** Merry Christmas! So, I know that this is a little late, but your Christmas gift from me is a long chapter! (I'm not kidding – it's about 5,000 words) Anyways, this chapter is about Finn experiencing a Skywalker Family dinner… yeah, I'm going to leave it there! So, please, read and enjoy!  
P.S. - The four italicised 8s are line breaks.

 **Disclaimer:** I don't own Star Wars, no matter how much I may want to. Xyva Coral was created by my best friend and Zantos Skywalker was created by my brother, which have been leant to me to use in this story. I also don't own "The Raven" by Edgar Allan Poe - I just had fun with it. I only own Alaina and Eve Skywalker (my ocs), and the shenanigans that I think the Skywalker family would get into at Christmastime!

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 **Chapter 3** **– Christmastime**

Finn's POV

Ever since that day, I keep on trying to run into Rey. Whether leaving my apartment around the time she does, going to see her between rehearsals, or "happening" to bump into her in cafés, I am trying to see her as much as possible. I think she probably figured out what I was doing because now she will randomly show up and talk to me as well. We now try to talk every day, and I am falling for her a little more each time she smiles.

Christmas is just around the corner now, and I am honestly trying to figure out what I will be doing for the holidays. Eve and Rey both have Christmas off, so they are going home to be with family. Poe also has the holiday off so, despite his incessant protests, he is going home with Eve to meet her entire family. I thought I was going to spend Christmas with Kes and Shara, but they decided to take a Christmas cruise this year, so I am pretty much all alone. I would never admit this to anyone else, but the thought of spending Christmas by myself makes me feel pretty lonely.

The feeling of the subway slowing down pulls me out of my thoughts and I look up to see that we are at my stop. I grab my backpack and get off the subway, going up the steps to re-emerge back into the chaos of New York. My phone buzzes and I pull it out of my pocket to see a text from Rey.

 _REY: Hey, I finished rehearsals early. Do you want to meet at Starbucks for a coffee?_

 _FINN: Sure thing! I'll see you there._

I pocket my phone and start walking up the street, looking out for the green and white sign. In fact, I am so focused on making sure I don't get hit by a car that I almost run smack into Eve and her roommate, Xyva. Both girls look up in surprise, but Eve smiles at me.

"Finn! It's so good to see you. How are you doing?" Eve asks me and I smile.

"I'm good! I'm actually on my way to Starbucks to meet up with Rey because she finished her extra rehearsals early." At this, Eve and Xyva share a look, which makes me just the littlest bit uneasy.

"You know what, we are on our way there too. Do you mind if we join you for your walk?" Xyva asks and I shrug.

"Sure, why not?" The three of us start walking and, although we are all silent, I can tell that someone is wanting to say something.

"So, Finn…" Xyva starts and I gulp. "Rey told me the other day that she keeps running into you and that every Sunday you both go to the market together, whether sunny, rainy, or -more fittingly- snowy. I never realized that you were one to go and look around what others may call junk." Xyva finishes, emphasizing the word "junk", and Eve's eyes widen.

"Wait, you are the one that Rey keeps meeting up with in the market? Finn, I thought you hated it there!" She exclaims and I shake my head.

"I do hate it. Digging through junk is definitely not high on my to do list, but it never seems as bad if I can see Rey there." I say without really thinking. From the look of suspicion on Xyva's face and the look of utter glee on Eve's face, I have a feeling that I am really going to regret this entire conversation.

Anyways, we are just arriving at Starbucks, so I pause and glance through the windows to see if I can find Rey through the crowd of people. I do not see her, however what I do see makes me stop in my tracks and frown. Sitting in one of the window seats is this guy with shoulder-length black hair with a scar on his face. He is wearing all black except for this huge, bright red scarf circled multiple times around his neck. He is holding a book of poetry and has what looks like a large, very complicated, coffee next to him. What really throws me off, however, is the rather menacing look he is giving me. I don't even realize that I have stopped until Eve and Xyva stop and turn around, coming back over to stand next to me. Eve stops next to me, takes one look at the guy in the window, and bursts out laughing. Xyva, on the other hand, groans in frustration before running inside. I look over at Eve in confusion and she shakes her head, still laughing.

"Don't worry about them, Finn. That's just her boyfriend." Xyva suddenly appears in the window next to him and, from what we can hear through the glass, starts yelling at him to be more sociable and stop creeping everybody out. I look over at Eve and we both chuckle before heading inside.

The place is packed with people, but the cash was miraculously empty, so we quickly bought our coffees before looking around. After a minute, I spot Rey sitting at one of the window seats on the opposite side of the coffee shop. I quickly move over to where she is sitting and, when she notices me, she gives me one of her smiles.

"Hey Finn! I'm so glad you made it." She motions to the seat next to her and I sit down, putting my backpack on the windowsill in front of us. Then, we start talking about pretty much anything and everything. From little things that our siblings do, to the joys (and struggles) of working in showbusiness, to the weird things you can witness in New York City, to the shenanigans of our family's pets - we literally talk about anything that we can think of. I love these conversations because I find it so easy to talk to Rey. It is almost like we know what the other is going to say before we even say it. We probably could have continued to talk longer if Eve had not popped in when she did. She looks at us and smiles.

"Well, hello! Fancy meeting you here! You know, I hate to crash your little date, but I'm pretty sure that we should all head to the theatres because, you know, we are actors (and a dancer) and we have our last shows tonight before a break for Christmas." Rey and I both look at her in shock for saying that we were on a date for a moment before we both snap out of it at the same time. I grab my phone and turn it on to see the time.

"Oh, wow! We do need to get going. I didn't even notice the time!" Rey says in surprise, glancing at the time on my phone before we both stand up, grabbing our coats and bags. Eve gives the two of us a knowing glance and shakes her head smiling. Soon, the three of us are going back out into the cold, noisy street.

"You know, we are lucky that Christmas is on a Monday this year so that we get the day off. I'm glad that Rey and I get to go home and see our family. Finn, what are you doing for Christmas?" Eve asks and I clear my throat a little awkwardly.

"I actually don't know. You see, Poe's parents are out of town for the holidays and you are taking Poe with you to meet your family, which I think is a very good thing." Eve smiles, relieved and I continue. "So, I don't know what I am going to do. Any suggestions?"

"Yes! Why don't you come home with us?" Rey blurts out and both Eve and I look at her in surprise.

"Really? You don't think your family would mind?" I ask, honestly caught between disbelief and hope.

"Mum already makes a feast, I don't see the harm in one more. Besides, I was allowed to invite someone and they have mentioned wanting to meet you sometime since I have mentioned you a few times.

"Numerous times!" Eve interjects and Rey looks away, a little embarrassed. I smile at Rey, nodding.

"Well, if it's no trouble, I would love to come." At this, Eve smirks, but when Rey smiles at me, I feel like it is going to be a really good Christmas.

 _8888_

It's Christmas day and Poe, Eve, Rey, and I are all piled into Maz' Beetle for the drive to their house. The car is quite the vintage piece and I am personally waiting for it to break down on us. With each bump, it feels as though Rey and I are going to be launched from the backseat, but Eve doesn't seem to notice because she is too busy trying to give Poe directions to their home. Of course, Poe says that he doesn't need directions, but he has never been here before, so Eve gives them to him anyways.

Eventually, we somehow make it to the small community of Ach-to, which is right on the coast. Rey and I both let out a deep sigh of relief when we hear that Eve is telling Poe to turn onto the street their parents live on. Finally, a rather large, stone house at the end of the street comes into view and Rey leans forward, smiling. There are only a couple of cars at the house, but we park on the side of the road in front of the house so that we won't trap anyone in the driveway if this car decides to die on us. We all quickly pile out of the car, rather thankful that we can get out of what I was convinced would be our untimely demise, and grab presents from the trunk of the car. I grab a few presents that I got for Eve, Rey, their parents, and Poe, along with some cookies in case anyone else decided to show up. As we walk up to the door, I notice that the sign on the house says "The Skywalkers".

"I thought your last name was Antilles." I say quietly and Rey shakes her head, smiling.

"Oh, no. The Antilles were a family that took in our mother after our grandparents died. When our mum had us, she gave us each two middle names, with one of them being Antilles after the family. When Eve and I got into showbusiness, we were told to come up with a stage name, and we chose Antilles. But I am still a Skywalker." She explains, and I nod, glad I understand before I could possibly say something stupid.

As soon as we step inside, Eve and Rey are bombarded with hugs. A shorter, older woman is the first to latch onto them, going on about how much they have grown and asking how life is going. The next in line is an older man, who is quite a bit taller than the woman. He seems a little gruff, but he smiles very warmly at the girls. Then, the woman suddenly yells, scaring me more than I would like to admit.

"Luke! Get out here now! That turkey can wait!" I guess I look startled because Rey glances over at me and chuckles.

"Aunt Leia used to be a Drill Sergeant in the army. She is a bit of a force to be reckoned with, and she always forgets how loud she can be to strangers." She quietly explains and I nod. This is certainly going to be an interesting day.

"Aunt Leia, Uncle Han, this is my boyfriend, Poe Dameron. Poe, meet my aunt and uncle, Leia and Han Solo." Eve says, trying to make the introductions as quickly as possible. Leia takes a good look at him, raising her eyebrow a little, before she suddenly pulls him into a hug. Poe lets out a slightly distressed cry that makes Han snicker before he looks over at me.

"And who is this, Rey? Boyfriend of yours?" He states more than asks. Rey flushes and I look down, a little embarrassed.

"Oh, no. Uncle Han, this is my friend very good friend, Finn." Han looks me over before nodding, holding out his hand for me to shake. I shake his hand, relieved that I haven't gotten kicked out or smothered in a hug… yet.

Before Leia can say anything, another man appears around the corner. He is an older man with a beard and is wiping his hands on an apron that I think was once white. I guess this must be Luke. When he sees Eve and Rey, he smiles, and opens his arms."

"Girls! Welcome home!" He calls out and I notice Rey's smile widen even more as she runs over and throws her arms around him, soon followed by Eve.

"Hi Dad." Eve grins and I notice Poe pale a little.

I chuckle as Luke greets Poe, his mere presence seeming to terrify Poe. Another woman appears right after, hugging Eve and Rey tightly. She looks to be about the same age as Leia, but a little taller. She is soon introduced to me as Alaina, Luke's wife and Eve and Rey's mother. I immediately see the resemblance between Alaina and Eve because they both have brown hair and blue eyes. I must say, if I didn't know that Rey was adopted, I would never think she didn't belong in the family. I am introduced to Luke and Alaina before the invite us all into the living room.

The living room is nice and big with lots of places to sit but, before I really know what is going on, Leia shoves me down onto the loveseat next to Rey. Rey and I both look at each other in surprise and embarrassment. I glance around to see that all the single chairs are taken and Leia and Han are conveniently sitting on the sofa in just a way that no one else could squeeze in with them. I look back at Rey and we stare at each other in silence for a minute before we both burst out laughing.

"Well, isn't this comfortable! Everyone all together in a way that is nice and cozy." Leia says and Han rolls his eyes, which causes his wife to turn and give him a glare.

Before things can escalate further, the doorbell rings and Alaina jumps up, moving over to the door. I hear two more voices join hers at the door before she comes around the corner with Xyva and that guy from the coffee shop. Leia's face brightens more and she quickly beckons them over, miraculously making the sofa seat four instead of two. Xyva looks really happy to be here, but the other guy looks like he is facing a fate worse than death.

"Finn, Poe, this is our son, Ben, and I believe you already know his girlfriend, Xyva." Leia says and looks over at Ben, who refuses to look back at her. Ben is… nothing like his mother. Where Leia is short, Ben is tall, where Leia has lighter hair done meticulously, Ben has messy black hair, where Leia is friendly, Ben seems antisocial, and where Leia is welcoming... Ben looks like he wants to kill us.

"Ben, it's good to see you and Xyva again!" Eve smiles, seemingly unperturbed by his death glare, which surprisingly turns into a very small smile when he looks at his cousin.

"Thanks, Eve. Good to see you too. Is he your boyfriend?" He asks, glancing over at Poe. Eve nods.

"Yep! Ben, this is Poe, my boyfriend. Poe, this is my cousin, Ben." Poe stutters out a hello and Ben nods curtly before looking over at Rey and I.

"And this is your boyfriend, Rey? You've mentioned him a few times." Her eyes widen and she shakes her head.

"Oh, this is my very good friend Finn. We're not dating."

"Yet!" Leia calls out and we both look away, but Ben chuckles.

"Good. Otherwise, I would have to threaten two guys before your brother gets home." He smirks and Xyva cuffs him up the side of his head. There is silence for a second before Alaina suddenly stands up, grabbing Luke's hand.

"Luke and I need to check on the turkey to make sure it doesn't get dried out or burned. We'll only be a minute." The two smile before leaving the room. I smile and look back over at the others, only to find Ben giving me that creepy stare again.

"So, Finn, what do you and Poe do for a living?" Han asks and I turn to him.

"I'm an actor, which is actually how I got to know Eve. We are in the same show and Rey works at the theatre next to us. Xyva also sings at the club down the street from us."

"And I'm a pilot in the air force. However, I am currently stateside waiting for deployment." Poe interjects and Leia smiles.

"Yet another connection to the military - how nice!" She cheers and I look over at Rey in confusion.

"Oh, I forgot to tell you. As you know, Aunt Leia was a drill sergeant, but that's not all. Dad joined the air force at age nineteen and continued to serve until his retirement a couple years ago. Mum served briefly as a medic in the army, but she mainly stayed with hospitals. My brother, Zantos, used to be in the air force, but is now a medic in the army. He has been on deployment for the past ten months… I hope he comes home soon. I just wish he could have made it home for Christmas." Rey says sadly.

"And who says wishes can't come true?" A voice calls out, causing all of us to look up. A tall man in a uniform is standing in the doorway to the living room, trying to brush snow off himself. Rey and Eve's faces both light up in delight and they jump out of their seats, running over, and throwing their arms around him.

"Zantos! You made it home!" Eve cries out in delight and Zantos laughs, hugging his sisters.

"Do you really think I would miss Christmas and Mum's cooking? Never!"

"What is going on out here?" Alaina asks, walking out of the kitchen, before looking up and freezing. "Zantos! You're here!" She exclaims, equally joyful, and rushes over to greet her son. Zantos lets go of his sisters and hugs Alaina, smiling as he greets her. Luke is the next to walk out of the kitchen, obviously confused at all the hollering. When he sees his son, however, his face breaks out into a huge grin as he walks over and hugs him.

"It's good to have you home. And just in time too. Alaina and I were on our way out to tell all of you that supper is ready. Please, come in to the dining room." He addresses the last part to all of us and I smile, glad that the whole family is together today.

A few seconds later, a girl rushes in, apologizing for being late, before freezing in her tracks, staring up at Zantos. He says something to her and she shrieks, jumping into his arms and kissing him. I suppose that my eyes must be abnormally large because Rey looks over, chuckles, and walks over to me.

"I don't suppose you've met her yet. This is Kaydel Connix, Zantos' girlfriend. We invited her over for Christmas because her family lives in another part of the country, and, from the looks of it, she didn't know Zantos was coming home either." It all clicks in my head and I nod in understanding.

Alaina and Luke disappear into the kitchen to serve the meal and we watch as everyone pairs up as they go into the dining room. Han with Leia, Ben with Xyva, Zantos with Kaydel, and Poe with Eve… which leaves just Rey and myself. She looks down a little awkwardly and I clear my throat, holding out my arm to her. She takes it, smiling, and we walk into the dining room, taking our seats at the large table. I happen to be sitting across from Ben, which I feel is going to make this meal a lot more awkward, but it could be worse. After all, Poe just happens to be seated across from Zantos, who is giving him the evil eye. A few seconds later, Luke comes out, pushing a cart that he swears Alaina got just for serving Christmas dinner. Alaina follows him and the two quickly place all of the delicious looking dishes on the table. He soon sits down at the head of the table, with Alaina on his right and Rey on his left. He looks at all of us and smiles before bowing his head and saying grace. We all do the same and, once he finishes thanking God for the meal, we all dig in.

 _8888_

"I think it is safe to say that was one of the best birds you've ever roasted." Alaina says after we are all done and I think everyone else feels the same from the chorus of agreement to her statement. Luke smiles proudly.

"Well, you made sure I didn't burn it, but thank you, My Dear." He leans over and kisses her cheek before standing up. "Why don't we all go back to the living room to talk and let the turkey digest?" At this, everyone else stands up and makes their way back into the living room, moving more slowly than before.

We all make it back into the living room and I find myself shoved once again by Leia into the loveseat where Rey is sitting. Not that I'm complaining, mind you! I love being with Rey, It's just a little funny how persistent Leia is. Everyone else sits down together and Luke pulls his chair closer to Alaina's so he can wrap an arm around her. If this was any place else, I would most likely feel extremely awkward but, for some reason, I feel really comfortable here. Suddenly, Luke turns to me.

"Finn, it's so nice that you could make it! Rey really wanted you to come, but was worried that you would have plans." I look over at Rey in surprise, who looks like she wants to smack her father and, from the sound of it, her mother did just that. "Ow, Alaina!" He almost whines, making Alaina roll her eyes and Leia snicker.

"How about we all share stories? This always ends up being fun, though slightly embarrassing." Kaydel suggests and everyone nods. Xyva gets a funny look in her eyes before she sits up.

"Did I ever tell you all how Ben and I met?" She asks, mischievously and Ben looks at her in horror. Leia, eager to hear a funny story, leans forward, and motions for her to continue. "Well, a singer needs coffee, and there just happens to be a Starbucks on the street where I work. Every day I walked by it, and every day there was this guy who would stare out rather creepily at everyone while drinking his peppermint latte, or something like that. Well, one day I decided to go in and talk to him because I figured he was this emo guy who probably needed a friend. Anyways, I get a coffee, sit down next to him, try to make small talk, and he ignores me. I notice he that he is reading Edgar Allan Poe and Dracula is also there on the table with him. So, I try to make a joke about vampires liking peppermint lattes… it didn't work. He just glared at me and told me to be quiet. Now, anyone who knows me knows that asking me to be quiet is not a good idea because, when I get quiet, I am plotting my next move. So, I decide to have a little fun with The Raven and I said:

 _"Ah, I distinctly remember, it was the 2nd of December_  
 _And a creepy man was staring,_  
 _Like his soul was trampled on the floor…_  
 _'Will you ever find help?' I asked him_  
 _Quoth the Emo 'Nevermore'."_

Xyva finishes rather dramatically and, by this point, we are all laughing pretty hard. Even Ben is chuckling a little, which is perhaps the most surprising thing of all. Stories continue to get shared around the room and I even find myself adding a thing or two. It suddenly hits me that I have had more fun this one day than the past year. It's funny, there is something about a large family that makes you feel like you belong - even if you have just met for the first time! Before I realize it, the time has flown and it is getting to the time that we all needed to head out if we wanted to get back to the city at a slightly reasonable hour. Luke and Alaina stand up to get our coats from one of the guestrooms and I suddenly notice the bag that I had left by the door earlier this evening. Alaina comes back and hands me my coat, which I take before handing her two packages, which causes her to look at me in confusion.

"This is for you and Luke. I was told that you should never go to a dinner without a little something for the host and hostess. Also, since it's Christmas, I wanted to get a little something for everyone else who I didn't know about. So, the cookies are for everyone else. Can you see that Leia, Han, Ben, Xyva, Zantos, and Kaydel get them?" I ask and Alaina smiles.

"Of course I will! Oh, you sweet boy, you didn't have to do this! Thank you very much." She gives me a hug before moving over to stand next to Luke. As she passes Rey she whispers "I like this Finn, invite him to come again!" causing both Rey and I to cough awkwardly. I turn my attention to Eve and Poe, who are over at the door.

"Are you sure that you don't want to come back with us in the deathtrap? We could surely use the company or someone to call the funeral home if we drive off the road." Poe says and Eve shakes her head, laughing.

"Rey and I took tomorrow off as well. We want a bit of time with our family. Take the Beetle back, Rey and I will get Zantos to drive us in on Wednesday." She smiles at him before reaching up and giving him a quick kiss. She then walks over to me and I pass her a gift. She smiles, thanking me, before moving away and pretty much shoving Rey towards me. Rey stumbles and, on instinct, I reach out to steady her. She looks up at me and smiles.

"Thank you so much for coming today. My family loves you and I loved having you here." I smile at her.

"I loved being here. Thanks for inviting me, Rey. This was one of the best Christmases I have ever had. Oh, and since I won't see you until Wednesday, this is for you. Merry Christmas." I say as I pass her a gift that I probably spent way too much time wrapping. Her eyes light up and she gives me one of her beautiful smiles.

"Thank you, Finn! I hope that you have a safe drive home in that car. I don't know how Eve does it, but she somehow manages to get drivable for each inspection." We both chuckle but, before I can leave, Leia gasps rather loudly, causing us both to look at her.

"Look at that! You two are standing under the mistletoe! You know the tradition…" She grins and Luke frowns.

"I don't remember hanging mistletoe there…" He mutters and Leia gives him an unimpressed look.

"Well, someone needed to." She mutters back before turning to us. "Now kiss!"

By this point, the rest of the family has come out of the living room to see what is going on. Poe is also standing behind us on the porch with the door open, wanting to see what will happen. Knowing that Leia will literally keep me from leaving until I do something, I lean down to kiss Rey on the cheek. However, before I can do so, she turns to look at me and I end up kissing her on the lips.

I am staring at her in complete shock, and she does the same for a second before she closes her eyes and gently kisses me back. Fireworks start going off in my mind and I honestly cannot believe that this is happening. I think I hear Eve mutter that it has taken us long enough, but I don't really care. All I can think about is Rey.

After what feels like an eternity and yet too soon at the same time, I gently pull away and look down at her. She bites her lip before looking up at me, smiling.

"Merry Christmas, Finn." She says quietly and I grin.

"Merry Christmas, Rey." With that, I step outside and walk with Poe down to the car. He is talking incessantly, but I'm not even listening. We get into the car and I look up to see Rey waving from the porch of the house. I wave back, smiling.

Yes, this has got to be the best Christmas ever.


	4. Chapter 4 - Totally Not Dating

**A/N:** I know that I am technically a day late, but the chapter ends a couple days after Valentine's Day, so I think I'm still okay! Anyways, this is just a funny and fluffy chapter. I wanted to get it done sooner, but school got in the way and this just seemed like a perfect time to write about. Feel free to like and review if you feel so inclined! So, sit back and enjoy this chapter of Seeing You There!

 **Disclaimer:** I don't own Star Wars. I don't own the quote I took from The Lion King 1/2 (great movie by the way). I also don't own Avengers (popping that in since I mention it). My brother owns Zantos, my friend owns Xyva, and they are on loan to me. I own Eve and Alaina, and the plans for this story, but that is it!

* * *

 **Chapter 4 – Totally "Not" Dating**

Finn's POV

I continue to see Rey every day, but ever since Christmas, I have been seeing a lot more of the entire Skywalker Clan. Leia especially has been showing up at our door a whole lot. Every time she claims that she keeps on forgetting that Eve, Rey, and Xyva live in AA2187 across the hall instead of 2187, which is our apartment. This would make a lot of sense except for the fact that she will always find an excuse to practically drag me across the hall and announce loudly to Rey that I "just happened to drop by". After that she usually shoves me down next to Rey and scurries off into the kitchen declaring that she needs to try whatever dish Eve has just made. The first time it happened, Rey looked away, embarrassed, and I thought that Eve would come to the rescue. The only sign of her, however, was the sound of her and Leia's laughter coming from the kitchen, proving she would be no help whatsoever. It got better after that, and Leia has now done it so many times that Rey and I are both used to it.

It is now about the middle of February and everywhere I go, all I hear is one thing - Valentine's Day. Whether it is coworkers talking about how amazing the holiday is or how much they want to destroy any reminder of the holiday, Valentine's Day gets old pretty quickly. It doesn't help that all the single people I know moan to me about how they want to be in a relationship and all the people I know in a relationship keep telling me that this Valentine's will be the "best one ever". I have heard both sides way too much and, frankly, I am rather tired of it all. The one thing about this time of year that truly annoys me, however, is how everyone I know keeps on asking me if I'm dating someone and then takes pity on me when I say I'm not. I don't need their pity. I am very happy, and I also have Rey who is… well… I'm not sure what we are yet, but I really like her.

Anyways, today is February 14th and I am currently standing outside AA2187, contemplating on whether to knock on the door or not. Rey and I are going out to some bakery that she likes but while it kind of sounds like a date, I'm not really sure that it is. I look down at what I'm wearing. Is it too casual? Too dressy? Before I can decide to run back across the hall and change, the door opens to reveal Xyva's surprised face.

"Finn! Hi! What are you doing here?" She asked with a slightly suspicious look on her face. I shift my weight from one foot to the other as I stand there, uncomfortably.

"Hi Xyva, is Rey here? I'm supposed to be meeting her." I explain and she smiles in understanding.

"Right! You and Rey are going on your 'totally-not-a-date'." Xyva said holding up her hands to make air quotes. Before I can object, she gives me a knowing look and steps aside to let me in.

When I step through the doors, I find myself standing in the middle of a state of what can only be described as organized chaos. Binders, books, fabric swatches, and all other sorts of things cover most of the surfaces in the living room. Eve is on her laptop at the dining room table, Rey's voice is coming from the kitchen, Ben is staring menacingly out the window, and Zantos and Kaydel are sitting on the sofa. As soon as I see Kaydel, the chaos all makes total sense to me. Zantos and Kaydel got engaged on New Year's Eve so Kaydel, being the responsible person she is, has decided to get a head start on wedding preparations. Zantos obviously genuinely cares about helping Kaydel with the planning, but when Kaydel starts asking Eve about what colours the place settings should be, his attention goes back to the tv where _Avengers: Age of Ultron_ is playing. I honestly don't blame him and I even have half a mind to join him when Rey come out of the kitchen.

"That was Dad. Apparently, Mum has come down with the flu and won't be able to make it for dinner tonight. So, he is staying home to be with her." There is a murmur of disappointment before Rey looks over and sees me by the door. Her face lights up.

"Finn, you're here! Let me just go get my purse and we can head out."

I nod and Rey smiles before disappearing around the corner. I watch her for a second before I turn and find Zantos and Ben glaring at me from where they were in the room. I clear my throat, uncomfortably.

"Is there something wrong?" I ask, completely unsure of what to say. Ben gives me a menacing stare and walks towards me.

"Where are you taking Rey?" He hisses and I take a step back.

"I'm sorry, what?" I ask, confused.

"We just want to make sure that your intentions for our sister -and cousin- are honourable." Zantos pipes up from the sofa, getting the attention of the girls. Xyva looks over and rolls her eyes.

"Seriously, you two? This is Finn! It's not like Rey's dating some jerk, she's dating him." Xyva declares rather loudly, pointing at me. Realizing what she meant, I try to correct her, but Eve smirks at me.

"Oh, yes we know what you're going to say. You're going to say that you and Rey are not actually dating and are just friends, but we all know the truth." Eve grins and I clear my throat awkwardly, hoping that Rey will come back from her room and save me from this conversation. No luck.

"So, where are you two going this afternoon?" Kaydel asks and I turn to her gratefully, ignoring Eve's comment.

"I'm not sure. There is this bakery that she says she really likes up on 7th." I pause when I look up and see the looks of shock and horror on their faces. "What?"

"Oh, nothing really… except for the fact that 'Takodana Treats' as they call themselves is usually anything but a treat. The staff are probably going to be a little rude but, whatever you do, don't let them make you buy their cupcakes. They are always stale!" Zantos contributes from his spot on the couch. I look over at Eve and she confirms her brother's statement with a nod and a chuckle.

"We honestly don't know why Rey likes these places. I mean, first the Jakku Market and now this Takodana Treats! I think this is where she gets her nickname the Scavenger - she finds good things in the strangest places. I just don't get why she won't go somewhere normal like Coruscant Confections. I mean, they make really good cakes - Oh, Kaydel, they make cakes! Write them down on your list!" Eve suddenly says and Kaydel looks up, nodding, before writing down the name in her large binder. I am standing there trying to understand what just happened when Rey comes back into the living room. I smile at her in relief.

"All right, Finn. Ready to head out?" She asks, grabbing her coat, and I practically run to the door while trying to remain cool about it.

"Yeah, let's go." She smiles at me and we head out for our "not date".

Eve and Zantos weren't kidding - Takodana Treats leaves a lot to be desired in almost every way. The pastries in the case were obviously not fresh and the staff were indifferent the second we stepped in. When they realized I wasn't going to tip them, they pretty much threw the food at us in disdain. I went for the cookies and, while they weren't bad, they weren't exactly good. The only thing that made this trip worth while, however, was Rey's excitement. It really is infectious, and I couldn't help but smile. She got a slice peach cobbler and she seemed to really like it, so the trip wasn't a total bust.

We are sitting in Washington Square Park on one of the benches. It is rather cold, but I'm happy to sit there and enjoy the moment with my coffee while Rey finishes up her cobbler. I look over at her and smile to see the look of happiness on her face. I glance down at her food and frown.

"I'm sorry, Rey. It probably would have been easier for you to eat that inside. Do you want to go somewhere indoors?" I ask her and she laughs, shaking her head.

"No, I'm fine, Finn. I actually do this a lot. I will get something and then head down here. I love coming and sitting down here on this exact bench. I don't know why, but the whole park seems magical from here!"

I smile at her and look up, trying to find the magic among all the concrete. I think that I am starting to see what she means when a taxi horn starts blaring and people start yelling some rather choice words, breaking the spell entirely. I sigh, shaking my head, and turn back to her.

"So, how's the cobbler?" I ask and she grins at me.

"It's delicious! Look, I know that Takodana Treats isn't exactly a five-star bakery, but their cobblers are good. The peach cobbler is my favourite. In fact, I'd say it is the best item on the whole menu!" I want to interject that I think it must be the only good item on the menu, but I choose not to.

"I'm glad that you are enjoying it." I say instead and she seems happy with my response, so I decided to leave it at that.

We sit in a comfortable silence until Rey has finished her cobbler. When she is done, she stands up and throws her garbage in the can a few feet away from us and I stand up from the bench, which is suddenly feeling very cold. She comes back over to me and we walk out of the park side by side. As we are moving down the sidewalk towards the crosswalk, I grab her hand without thinking. She stops moving and stares down at our hands in shock. Realizing what I have done, I freeze as well before quickly removing my hand from hers.

"Sorry Rey. I wasn't thinking." I say quickly and step back from her. Rey looks up at me and smiles, shaking her head softly.

"Don't worry about it Finn. I'm not upset. A little surprised, yes, but upset? No." She smiles, and I sigh in relief. We both look up and see that the crosswalk has just changed to "walk". I turn to her and hold out my hand.

"Shall we run for our lives?" I ask and she grins, grabbing onto my hand with one of her own.

"Oh, yes, let's!" We take off running and just manage to get across the crosswalk before the light changes. We glance at each other and burst out laughing before we continue our walk back to the apartment building.

We make it back to the building in record time and have just made it to our floor when she stops me.

"Finn, because of Poe and Xyva's work schedules, Eve, Poe, Ben, Xyva, and I have all decided to go out for a group dinner tonight. They invited me to bring someone along and I was wondering if you would like to come with us?" She looks up at me, as though she is worried I will say no. I grin.

"Sure, why not? It will be a lot better than anything I could have planned for tonight. I'll see you later Rey." I say and walk over to unlock my apartment door. She calls out the same and unlocks her door, stepping into the chaos that is her family. I fiddle with my key a little so that I can watch her for a second before I open my door and step inside. I am hanging up my coat when it suddenly hits me. I am very close to falling for Rey.

I am standing in my living room, turning off the lights, when I hear a groan from the other room. I look up to see Poe come out of his bedroom.

"What do you think, Finn? Too fancy or too casual? Should I wear the other shirt, you know, the green one?" I glance at him with an eyebrow raised and frown before going to the door and pulling on my coat.

"You look fine, Poe. I seriously doubt that Eve will care what you look like just as long as you don't get into a brawl or something on the way there. Now, come on, we are going to be late." I say and Poe grumbles under his breath about how he really should have changed into the other shirt, which makes me roll my eyes. We head out to find Eve, Rey, Ben, and Xyva all waiting in the hall for us. We exchange customary hellos before we head out for the restaurant.

The restaurant is crowded and the food is a little pricey, but it fun to be there with friends. Who says that Valentine's Day needs to be all romantic anyways? I mean, have you ever read about the patron saint? Being fed to lions is a lot of things, but romantic is not one of them!

It is a typical dinner with my friends. I got shoved into a seat next to Rey, which is fine by me because it means I don't need to shout across the table to talk to her. Eve and Poe are leaning close together, deeply involved in a conversation. It is actually quite cute. Ben and Xyva are also in a discussion about something but, as I pay more attention to it, it is sounding a lot like an argument in the early stages. Ben says something that Xyva obviously disagrees with, getting the attention of Eve and Poe. They look over at us and Rey mouths "here we go."

"Ben, I am not going to use this in a song. What even is this? 'You're like a lark in the sky, singing a sweet melody'? That doesn't even rhyme!"

"Not all songs rhyme!" Ben counters and Xyva scoffs.

"You're right. Only good songs rhyme. The ones that don't are trash!" She starts to raise her voice and I look over at Rey, wondering if we need to intervene.

"You just aren't giving this art the appreciation that it deserves!" Ben spits out and danger flashes in Xyva's eyes. She is getting ready to give the fatal blow.

"Oh, I'll give it what it deserves!" And with that, she rips up the paper that he had given her and throws it behind her. Ben stands up, his eyes flashing in fury. Xyva stands up as well and I notice Eve and Poe getting ready to jump if they need to pull the two apart.

"How could you! You know, Xyva, sometimes I wonder if you really love me at all!" Ben's voice is starting to get to a level that could disrupt other couples. Rey tries to motion to them to quiet down, but both ignore her. Xyva laughs in disbelief at his words.

"You think I'd still be with you if I didn't love you?" She counters and by now they are pretty much yelling.

"Then prove it! Marry me!"

"Sure, why not? It would make fighting a whole lot easier!"

"Fine!"

"Fine!" Xyva storms off and Ben turns around to us.

"Now, if you'll excuse us, we have a ring to pick out! I will see you tomorrow!" He storms out after her and Eve, Poe, Rey and I look at each other in shock. It is only at this moment that I realize our jaws are hanging open in shock.

"Did they really just…" I trail off, completely unsure of what to say. Eve stares at the doors for a second before she smiles, shaking her head in disbelief.

"Man, there's never a dull moment in our family! This is definitely a Valentine's Day that we are going to remember."

I am standing outside of apartment AA2187 nervously, trying to get up the courage to knock on the door. Looking down at the package in my hands, I take a deep breath before knocking rather gently. The door opens to reveal, rather unsurprisingly, Xyva. She is beaming and I immediately notice the fluorescent light of the hallway bouncing off the diamond ring on her left hand. She takes me in and then looks at the package in my hands before grinning a rather mischievous smile.

"Ah, you've come to see Rey after your first lover's quarrel." She smirks and I sigh, bowing my head. There is no use denying it because Rey and I did get into an argument. It happened so quickly, and I am not even sure now what it was about, but I feel badly that it even happened. So, I am here only a couple days after Valentine's Day, hoping to make Rey feel better and, hopefully, forgive me.

Xyva lets me in to the apartment and I am slightly relieved to see that it is not packed with people giving me judgemental glances. In fact, the only person there other than Xyva is Eve, who is drinking some tea at the table. She looks over at me and smiles before calling out for Rey.

"Eve? What is it this time?" Rey calls out, sounding annoyed, and rather unlike herself, before she walks out into the living room and sees me standing there, awkwardly. "Hello, Finn." She says rather coolly. Before she can say anything else, I step towards her.

"Rey, I'm really sorry about our argument last night. To be honest, I'm not entirely sure what it was even about, but I know that I provoked you. I'm really sorry and, while I know that you are probably still really ticked at me, I hope that you can forgive me." I glance down at the package in my hands. "Oh, and I also got you a little something. You mentioned that peach cobblers are your favourite from Takodana Treats and I figured you might like one."

I hold out the box to her, uncomfortable with the whole situation and, frankly, worried that she will not accept my apology. Instead of glaring at me or ignoring me all together, Rey simply smiles and takes the box out of my hands.

"Thank you, Finn. It's sweet of you to apologize and to get my favourite. Don't worry, I forgive you. It was a really stupid argument anyways."

I let out a breath I didn't even realize I was holding, and she giggles a little before reaching up and hugging me. I freeze for a second before I wrap my arms around her and hug her back. I glance over at the two other occupants of the room to see Xyva making a heart with her hands at us while Eve is frantically motioning for me to continue. I roll my eyes a little and smile despite myself before pulling away.

"Hey, can I walk you down to your rehearsals?" I ask and Rey's eyes light up.

"I'd love that!" She smiles and pulls on her coat before putting the peach cobbler box in her bag and slinging the bag over her shoulder. Then, she takes my hand in hers and we walk out for the day. I know that I will get an extra dose of teasing from Eve later today, but I don't care. I'm with Rey and that's all that matters.


	5. Chapter 5 - Complications

**A/N:** Hi! So, it's been over a year since I last updated and I am really sorry. Lots of things happened and I forgot that I had never written the next chapter until a couple weeks ago. So, in an attempt to make up for the extra long hiatus, I have written the longest chapter so far for this story. I believe that it totals to 6,200 words. My friend requested angst, so this is an angsty chapter, but it will probably get fluffy again in the next. Anyways, I really hope you like this and feel free to leave a review!

 **Disclaimer:** As always, I do not own Star Wars (If I did, Finnrey would have happened in The Rise of Skywalker), Disney does. I don't own the musical Anastasia either, so anything that sounds like an Anastasia quote/song lyric belongs to the musical. The inspiration for Zantos is my brother and Xyva belongs to my friend (both characters are on loan from them for as many stories as I need). Eve, Alaina, and Cassandra are mine. Phasma doesn't have a first name, so I named her Gwendoline after Gwendoline Christie. Threepio and Artoo are named Anthony and Kenny respectively after Anthony Daniels and Kenny Baker. Also, Jacen is Jacen Syndulla.

* * *

Chapter 5 – Complications

Finn's POV

Not much time has passed, and life has continued on much the same. AA2187 is crazy as ever and, with Kaydel doing most of the wedding planning there, the apartment looks to be one huge desk for wedding preparations. Due to the disastrous state of the apartment, it has been becoming rather common for at least one of the Skywalker clan to come over and spend some time in Poe's and my apartment, which looks rather bare in comparison.

This morning, Rey and Eve have stopped over at our apartment so that we can all walk together to work. Rey doesn't actually work at the same theatre as Eve and me, but it's pretty close to ours, so we all travel together. Eve and Rey are sitting at the island in the kitchen as I fill both their travel mugs.

"Well, Finn, this is a really nice change. Usually I'm the one making the hot drinks for all of you." Eve smiles and I chuckle, noticing Poe walk into the room out of the corner of my eye. He plops down on the stool next to Rey, looking rather concerned.

"Morning, Poe… is everything all right?" Rey asks and he glances up at her.

"What? Oh… it's nothing." He says unconvincingly, and Eve slides off her stool. She moves next to him, gently wrapping an arm around his shoulders.

"You sure about that? You seem pretty distracted, Love." Eve points out and Poe shakes his head, smiling up at her.

"Don't worry about it, Eve. I'm fine. Now, don't you, Finn, and Rey need to get going? I don't want any of you to be late because you're all fussing over me." He smirks and Rey rolls her eyes.

"Ah, and Poe's back. Come on, Eve, Poe's right. We need to get going or else we'll be late." She smiles while I pass Rey and Eve their travel mugs before grabbing my own.

"You mind saying that again, Rey? I don't think I heard it the first time!" Poe calls out as the girls head to the door, clearly wanting to hear them say that he was right again.

"I'm not saying it again, Poe Dameron. You know exactly what I said!" Rey calls back and I start chuckling while Poe grins. I reach down and grab my bag, throwing it over my right shoulder before picking up my own travel mug. I am about to leave the kitchen when I suddenly think about something. I stop and turn back to Poe.

"When are you going to talk to Eve?" I ask him and he turns around to face me, clearly surprised.

"What do you mean, Finn?" He questions and I raise and eyebrow at him.

"You know perfectly well what I mean. You have something that you need to talk to Eve about and I think it's pretty important. Maybe I'm wrong, but I think Eve would consider this important too." At this, Poe looks conflicted.

"I know it's important, believe me, I do. But is this really the right time?" He asks me and I shrug.

"I don't know. I'd say it's probably as good a time as ever, but it's up to you." I respond and Poe's shoulders slump.

"I guess so… How do you think she'll respond?" He looks up at me and I sigh.

"You're the one dating her, Poe, not me. Surely you have at least an idea of how she is going to respond to this."

"Oh yeah. I guess you're right… Why am I so nervous, Finn?" He rubs his hands together and I shrug again.

"I guess because it's important to you. There's nothing wrong with being nervous, Poe. Just talk to her soon…." I glance down at my watch and grimace. "Now, I really have to go or else I'll make them late. Good luck!" I call out.

"Thanks Finn!" Poe shouts as I shut the door. I turn to see Eve and Rey waiting at the elevator for me.

"Thank God you're finally here! I was beginning to think you got lost." Eve grins and I sigh.

"Sorry about that. I just needed to talk to Poe about something." I explain and Eve nods as the elevator dings, the doors opening.

"Did I hear you wish Poe luck?" Rey asks me as we all step inside. I nod.

"Yeah. He's going to need it." I mutter and Rey's eyes light up. She glances over at Eve and then quickly changes the subject before her sister notices.

Soon enough, we are running down the steps to the subway. Eve is in front of us, so I reach over and grab Rey's hand. She grins at me and we continue to hold hands as we race onto the subway car, the door shutting right behind us. Eve is standing in front of us, shaking her head and declaring that was "too close". Rey and I look at each other and laugh. It is never a dull moment in morning rush hour traffic.

We get to our stop and all leave in a much more orderly manner than how we entered. The three of us walk together until we reach the Majestic Theatre. Rey is one of the minor ballerinas for _Phantom of the Opera_ , but she is hoping to work her way up someday. She heads towards the stage door, shouting out where we are going to meet up for lunch. Eve laughs, acknowledging Rey, and then we walk the short distance to the Broadhurst Theatre, which happens to be basically next door to _Phantom_. Since we are in _Anastasia_ Eve bursts out into a rather loud and spontaneous rendition of "Journey to the Past" as she starts skipping up to the stage door.

" _Let this be a sign! Let this road be mine! Let it lead me to my past. And bring me home…"_ Jumping up onto the step in front of the stage door, she turns around and throws her arms open wide. _"At laaaaaaaaaast!"_ Eve finishes, holding the note way longer than necessary until I reach the stage door. Then she stops, clutching her hands in fists above her head, and looks down at me.

"Gee Finn, what took you so long?" She asks and I shake my head, grinning.

"Really, Comrade. A display like that was not becoming of a good and loyal Russian." I say in mock disapproval as I open the stage door. Eve gasps in mock horror.

"We are both good and loyal Russians, but my home is here now." She says far too seriously and we both manage to hold straight faces for about five seconds before we burst out laughing. We both quote _Anastasia_ so much that it now has become a joke. We then head inside the theatre.

The first person we see each day in the theatre is Anthony. He is the head of security for the theatre and his id is C-3PO. For some reason, Anthony always refers to himself by his id, so we have all started calling him "Threepio" for short. Threepio is usually there, but sometimes Kenny, the other head of security, is there too. Kenny's id is R2-D2, so we call him "Artoo". Artoo, however is typically only there in the afternoons and evenings, so we should be greeted by Threepio. Sure enough, Threepio is there with his morning coffee and newspaper. Eve and I both walk up to his booth to sign in.

"Morning Threepio. Anything new or noteworthy today?" Eve asks while signing in and Threepio's face lights up. He always loves being able to share something new with the rest of us.

"Why good morning Mistress Eve, Master Finn. What a lovely day it is today. Now, it is technically not for me to tell, but I have heard that there is a new girl joining the ensemble today. Mistress Cassandra, as you know, is off on maternity leave, so they have found someone new to take her place – at least for the time being."

"They already found someone to replace Cassie? That was fast. Do you know what her name is?" I ask Threepio as I sign in and he leans forward.

"Her name is Rose Tico and her sister, Paige, is apparently playing the role of Nessa Rose over at _Wicked_. I'm afraid that is all I know right now, but she should be arriving soon." Threepio explains in a very matter-of-fact manner and I nod.

"Thanks for the info, Threepio. Well, we'll see you at noon." I say and the older man waves at the two of us as we head down the hallways for our dressing rooms.

Soon enough, the director has called everyone on stage. When I get there, I see a girl that I don't recognize. She has black hair pulled back in a bun and is wearing half of a yin-yang necklace. Someone steps up beside me and I turn to see Eve, fiddling with a couple of the pins on her brown wig. She was originally supposed to be blonde, but the director decided that since she is naturally a brunette, he felt that having her as a brunette would look better and Eve didn't mind one bit.

"Everyone, listen up!" Our director, Babu Frik, shouts out and we all shut up. He may be small, but he is terrifying when mad. He gestures towards the girl standing next to him. "This Rose Tico."

"Hi." She smiles, lifting a hand slightly in a wave. Babu Frik drags her over to Eve, Jacen, and I.

"This Finn. He Gleb." He says in his broken English and we shake hands. Rose looks down, flushing slightly. Then he moves on to the next person. "This Jacen. He Dimitry." They shake hands as well and I notice that Rose doesn't look as nervous. "This Eve. She Anya." Babu Frik says finally introducing Eve and Rose.

"You're Eve Antilles! Oh my, I really looked up to you. You are amazing!" Rose babbles and Eve laughs, shaking Rose's hand.

"Oh Rose, I'm not that amazing. Just ask Finn, he knows me better than anyone here. But, thank you. I feel very flattered that you would say that." Eve smiles and Rose hugs Eve. Luckily, Eve is a fairly "huggy" person, so she gives Rose a hug, laughing the whole time. The two run off together and I can tell right away that Rose is going to fit right in with us here at _Anastasia_.

* * *

"Oh Finn, how can you not see it? Rose clearly likes you!" Eve laughs and I roll my eyes.

It has been two weeks since Rose first joined the cast of _Anastasia_ and she is fitting right in. Eve, Rey, Xyva, and I are all sitting in AA2187, enjoying the evening. Eve invited Rose over for supper and now that Rose has left, Eve and Xyva are teasing me, saying that Rose has a crush on me. I don't see any sign that Rose likes me that way, but the girls are convinced that I'm missing something. Rey is the only one not contributing to the conversation, which I'm oddly pleased about. She does, however, look annoyed.

"Well, you can believe what you want, Eve, but you can rest assured that I don't have a crush on her. Rose is nice, but I don't like her like that." Eve nods, smiling.

"Good." She glances over at Rey but says nothing. I glance over and see that Rey no longer looks as upset, but she still seems a little guarded.

"Are you okay, Rey?" I ask her and she jumps.

"Oh, yeah. Perfect." Rey mutters and Xyva bursts out laughing.

"Perfect? Sounds more like jealous to me." At her words, Rey flushes and runs into the kitchen, saying something about getting some more water. Xyva continues to cackle as Eve's phone buzzes. She glances down at it, types something, and stands up.

"Poe just texted. He says he needs to talk to me, so I'll head over now. I'll see you all later!" She calls and I silently thank God that Poe has finally decided to talk to her. Now we just have to hope that it goes well.

* * *

About ten minutes later, I am shutting the door to AA2187 and walking across the hallway to my apartment. I move to open the door when I notice that it is ajar. This is rather odd, but I just assume that it didn't latch properly behind Eve. We have been having trouble with the lock recently and we really just need to fix it one day. So, anyways, I push open the door, walk into the entryway of our apartment, and am turning to shut the door behind me when I hear Poe's voice coming from the kitchen. I am about to call out to them to let them know that I am here, but I pause when I hear Eve's next words.

"You're being deployed?" She asks quietly. "How long?"

"Six months at least. Probably closer to a year." Comes Poe's quiet reply. At this point, I figure I shouldn't be eavesdropping, but I am caught between a rock and a hard place. If I leave, I will have to shut the door and they will know that I heard their conversation. They may not have heard me come in, but they will definitely hear me leave. So, for the time being, I think it is better to just stay where I am.

"A year…" Eve trails off, taking a shaky breath to compose herself. "When are you being deployed?"

"Next week."

"Next week? Poe, how long have you known about this?" Eve is clearly trying to stay calm, but I can tell that she's a bit hurt and upset.

"For a few weeks… I didn't want you worrying Eve." Poe says, but he sounds unsure of himself.

"Poe, I'll always be worried about you. Sure, I don't have as much time to worry about this, but I'll still be worried for you the whole time."

"I'm sorry, Eve." Poe mutters and I can imagine Eve shaking her head, reaching to take his hand as she always does.

"You don't need to apologise to me. I understand. Besides, it's only a year at most. I'm sure that it could be much worse and, if we're able to write or something, the time might fly by. I'll be counting down the days until you return. Now, do you know what day you're leaving yet? I want to make sure that I can see you off…" Eve is clearly trying to comfort herself, but she suddenly sounds confused. I hear the sound of a chair scratching as it is shoved back across the floor and then footsteps move towards the opening of the kitchen. I look around, trying to figure out where to go should they leave the kitchen. There is a softer scratching and a lighter set of footsteps near the entrance of the kitchen as well.

"Poe? Is everything all right?" She asks, clearly concerned at his behaviour. To be honest, I'm starting to feel concerned as well. He's told her that he has to leave already, so what else is bothering him. I hear him sigh heavily.

"This isn't just any deployment, Eve. I'm not really supposed to say this but, where they're sending me, it's a high-risk operation. That's why I don't know when or even if I'll get back."

The whole apartment falls into dead silence. Even I'm holding my breath, waiting to hear what happens next. I'm a little shocked too. Poe told me that he was being deployed, but I had no idea that it was any riskier than anything he had ever done before. Now, I'm starting to get concerned.

"This is a lot take in at once… but that's okay. I have faith that you're going to get through this no problem, and I'll be here waiting for you when you get back. We'll make this work, Poe." She says reassuringly.

"I don't think we can." He mutters and I hear Eve inhale sharply.

"What do you mean?" I lean forward, wanting to hear his response as well.

"Eve, I don't think that this is going to work for us. It's too much… I think we'd both be better off without worrying about each other while we're both busy." I feel my jaw drop for a second in complete and total shock. What on earth is he doing? Is he crazy?

"Are you breaking up with me?" Eve asks in disbelief.

"Yes…no… I just think that all of this might be an unneeded distraction for both of us while I'm away." Poe says in a very unconvincing way.

"Do you not love me anymore?" Eve sounds close to tears.

"What? Of course I still love you, Eve! I just don't want to make it harder for you. It might be months between when I can contact you and I don't want to put you through that." Poe exclaims and, for the first time this whole conversation, he sounds like he believes what he's saying.

"Poe, I'm from a military family. My father was deployed several times during my childhood and my brother just got back from a deployment in December. Do you really think that I don't get what's going on? I know the risks, the stress, the worrying, the fear, all of it. When I first started dating you, I knew that you were in the air force and that at one point you would be deployed. Perhaps I tried to forget that every once in a while, but I always knew deep down that I would be saying goodbye to you at least once. I knew these things, and I still dated you because I loved you. I love you, Poe, and I always will… If you want to break up with me because you don't love me, so be it. But, please don't end things because of this."

"It's not fair of me to make you wait indefinitely." Poe mutters and Eve sighs.

"You may think it's unfair and refuse to ask me to wait for you, but you can't stop me from doing it anyways. I will wait for you, Poe Dameron, no matter what you say."

It goes quiet again, seeing as Poe clearly doesn't know what to say. At this point, I'm starting to feel guilty for hearing as much as I have, so I grab the door and slam it shut behind me, letting them know that I'm here.

"Poe? Eve? Are you here?" I call out louder than necessary. I walk around the corner to see Eve and Poe standing in the doorway to the kitchen. Poe is looking down at the ground and Eve is using her hand to wipe the tears of her face. She looks over at me and I can see that her eyes are still glassy. Glancing over at Poe, she bites her lower lip and shakes her head.

"I need to go. Rey and Xyva will be wondering what's taking me so long. I'll meet you at the theatre tomorrow, Finn." She mutters quickly walking past me towards the door.

"Eve—" Poe calls out, but the door to our apartment shuts before he can say anything. We both stare at the door for a second before I turn to Poe.

"You're an idiot." I state and Poe grimaces.

"How much of that did you hear?" He asks and I sigh, awkwardly.

"The door was slightly open when I arrived. I was about to call out to you when you started talking about the deployment. I was stuck there and, needless to say, I was pretty surprised to hear that it's a high-risk mission. You somehow failed to mention that to Kes, Shara, or me…" I trail off and Poe looks away.

"I didn't want them to worry, which they are bound to if they find that out. I wasn't even going to tell Eve, but I felt I needed to tell her that to explain why… You didn't hear that part, did you Finn?" He glances up at me, clearly dreading my answer.

"You mean that part where you broke up with her? Oh yeah, I heard all of that, which is why I think you're an absolute idiot. Why on earth would you do that to Eve?" I feel my patience starting to wear thin. What is going on with Poe? He's never had fears like this before. Mind you, he also hasn't been sent on a high-risk mission before…

"I figured it would be better to just end things now rather than prolong the inevitable. That way Eve would only have to deal with this pain once."

"Poe, just because it's a high-risk mission doesn't mean that it's the end. Lots of people come back from high-risk operations. You'll be back—" I say, trying to reassure him, but I'm kind of worried myself. Before I can finish my sentence, Poe interrupts me, the distress evident on his face.

"I could die, Finn! I could die on this mission. It's been hard enough saying goodbye to Eve when I've been going off for training. I always knew that I would come back, but it was still hard. How can I possibly say goodbye to Eve knowing that I may never see her again? How can I put her through months of waiting when I might never return? I can't. I can't do that to her. It's not fair of me to even consider putting her through that."

It's silent for a minute. Poe is clearly devastated with how things turned out and I honestly don't know what to say to him. Poe sighs before walking into the living room. Sitting down on the sofa, Poe slumps forward, burying his head in his hands. I sigh and lean against the door frame behind me.

"Did you Ever consider what Eve wants?" I say quietly and Poe lifts his head from his hands, his brow furrowed.

"What? What do you mean?"

"I understand your fears, Poe, I really do, but I think you're missing something. You just said that you couldn't put Eve through the pain of waiting for you, but did you ever consider the fact that she may want to wait? She loves you, so she will obviously be willing to wait for you to return. I think you hurt her more just now than the wait ever would." I can tell that Poe has been listening to me and it seems like he understands what I'm saying. He leans back, running a hand over his face, before looking up at me.

"I get what you're saying, Finn. I just don't know what to do now. I know that I hurt her – it hurt me too – but how could I possibly go talk to her now?"

"Well, I guess the one thing to do is just find a time to go talk to her. Don't leave things with the two of you upset…" I trail off as we hear a voice that we both quickly recognise as Xyva's coming from AA2187.

"HE DID WHAT? POE DAMERON IS A DEAD MAN!" She must be shouting really loudly because we can hear her perfectly with both apartment doors shut. I grimace as Poe visibly pales. No one who knows better wants to face the wrath of Xyva Coral.

"Well, perhaps you should wait to talk to Eve when Xyva and Rey aren't there."

* * *

Despite the valiant efforts of Xyva and Leia (who was suddenly always staying at AA2187), Poe did get to talk to Eve alone. I don't know what exactly was said, but I think Poe managed to patch things up between the two of them, even if it was only a little. Five days after Poe and Eve's first conversation, Poe had his bags packed and was ready to go to the base. It was early morning but, when Poe and I were leaving our apartment to meet up with Kes and Shara, who wanted to drive Poe to the base, several of the Skywalkers were there to say goodbye. Xyva said goodbye first and was still a little hostile to Poe, but that was to be expected. Luke and Alaina had dropped by specifically to see Poe off. Both were very kind and understanding, sincerely wishing Poe to have a safe deployment and be back soon. I am sure they heard about Eve and Poe's "sort of breakup" – one only needed to be in the same room as Xyva to hear about it – but they were kind enough to not mention it. Rey was next and, while she was a bit more standoffish than normal, I could tell that she was disappointed. She was going to miss Poe just as much as the rest of us.

Finally, Eve stepped forward to say goodbye. I noticed the other four step back a little to give them some space and I did the same. Eve managed to hold it together, but I could tell that she was close to tears. They spoke quietly before they hugged each other tightly. Poe stepped back and started to walk away when he suddenly stopped. Dropping the bag that he had slung over his shoulder and the other one he was carrying, he turned around and walked over to Eve, leaning down to kiss her. Behind me I heard Xyva mutter "Finally" and Rey whispered "Thank goodness". Pulling back, Poe smiled sadly at Eve before saying goodbye to all of us, which we said in return. Then, picking up his bags again, Poe left.

That was three months ago, and now it's the end of May. Things are oddly quiet without Poe around. True, Xyva and Ben can be louder than an army, but it feels different somehow. Due to the nature of his mission and the fact that the internet at his base is absolutely terrible, we've started communicating with Poe through handwritten letters. At first it was only me writing to Poe, but Eve started writing to him recently and I think that has helped the both of them. Poe hasn't written anything specific about what he's doing, but that is understandable considering the circumstances.

One warm May morning, Rey and I walk out of our apartment building. Things between Rey and I have stayed essentially the same. We are still very good friends and everyone still assumes that we are dating. When Rose met Rey, Eve spent five minutes in my dressing room, cackling. She claimed that she had never seen Rey look so jealous. Eve also said that Rose wouldn't get too close to me after she met Rey, which has actually happened. Rose and I are good friends, but I don't catch her giving me odd stares any more. Could Rey have possibly… No. I'm sure it's just a coincidence.

Before long, we are at the Majestic Theatre. We hug goodbye and I walk the final couple hundred feet to _Anastasia_. I walk through the stage door and I am just signing in when I hear Eve's voice.

"Finn! Finn!" Eve calls out, barrelling down the hallway towards me, half in costume. She looks ecstatic.

"What is it?" I barely manage to ask before Eve grabs my hand, dragging me down the hallway to the dressing rooms.

"Xyva finally managed to convince Ben to come see _Anastasia_ and they are coming to the Matinee today!" Eve practically jumps up and down as she tells me this and I grin.

"Ben Solo actually coming to see a musical? It's a miracle! Is it just Ben and Xyva coming today?" I ask and she shakes her head, still grinning like a madman.

"No. His two coworkers are coming too. I believe he said that their names are Hux and Phasma and that they are CEOs at First Order Publishing… Finn? Are you okay?" She asks me and I realize that I just stopped in my tracks.

"Yeah, it's just that I know Hux and Phasma. I used to work at First Order Publishing as a janitor. It was… a challenging place to work and I did not last long. On my first day, I saw how they treated everyone and I knew that I couldn't work for them. I quit a month later and worked at Starbucks until I got work in one of the theatres. Hux mostly ignored me, but Phasma called me a traitor for quitting my job and leaving First Order Publishing. It will be… interesting to see her again." I finish and Eve grimaces.

"Oh wow. I never knew that… Don't worry, Finn. I'll make sure to run interference today so you don't have to talk to her." Eve offers and I shake my head.

"I'll be fine. It may be good to see her again now that I'm successful and she's paying to watch me!" With that, Eve bursts into giggles and we continue to make our way to the dressing rooms.

* * *

The curtain closes and the entire ensemble lets out a cheer. Eve skips over and throws her arms around me in a big hug. I hug her back, mindful not to step on the skirt of her dress. Then, just as quickly as she skipped over, she lets go of me and runs over to Rose. I smile to myself before heading to my dressing room. The Matinee show is the only one I am doing today. Babu Frik wanted to give some of the understudies the chance to perform the starring roles in an evening performance, which means that Eve, Jacen, the other stars, and I all get the rest of the day off. Rose is performing as Anya tonight, so she is pretty nervous.

I am just hanging up the uniform jacket when I hear Threepio's voice over the PA system saying _"Mistress Eve, please report to the sign in desk. Your visitors are here."_ I smile as I hear Eve cheer in excitement, her dressing room door slamming open. I finish getting changed and grab my backpack from the chair before heading out into the hallway. Rose is standing out in the hallway and she turns when I close my dressing room door behind me.

"Eve wanted me to meet them too." Rose smiles, but she looks a little nervous.

"Maybe you should run while you can." I suggest and Rose laughs.

"I'll take my chances."

At that moment, Eve comes around the corner with Ben, talking animatedly. Ben is smiling and is clearly listening to her. From what I understand, Eve and Ben have always been extremely close. In fact, Ben is more of a big brother to Eve than Zantos is. So, it's nice that Ben finally came to see Eve perform because it means so much to her.

Xyva and Phasma are walk in next, chatting and laughing. Considering their personalities, it makes total sense that these two get along so well. Apparently, they met at one of the staff parties for First Order Publishing and spent the whole evening at the bar, criticizing everyone who passed. Since then, Xyva and Phasma have been very good friends. Phasma sees me and glares for a second before shaking her head and yelling for Hux to hurry up. Hux appears around the corner, seemingly lost and clearly annoyed at Phasma and Xyva's snickers. Eve looks up and, seeing me and Rose, she beckons us over.

"Finn, Rose, get over here! Everyone, you already know Finn, but I'd like you to meet Rose Tico, my understudy. Rose, this is my cousin Ben Solo, his girlfriend and my roommate Xyva, and Ben's coworkers Gwendoline Phasma and Armitage Hux."

Eve quickly introduces each one and Rose shakes their hands, clearly a little overwhelmed. Phasma is polite, but Hux looks… odd. It seems to be some sort of combination of shock, and fear. Xyva and Phasma start laughing, which makes Hux flush red in what I think is both anger and embarrassment. Before much more can happen, my phone vibrates in my pocket. Pulling it out, I see that I have a text from Rey.

REY: Are we still meeting in Washington Square today?

I mentally curse. I totally forgot that Rey and I were going to meet up in the park today. I glance down at my watch and grimace. Rey would already be halfway there. I'm supposed to be there in thirty minutes, and it's at least a forty-minute walk. Thinking quickly, I type back a response.

FINN: Yes. Sorry, I'm running a little late. I will be there as soon as I can.

REY: No problem. I'll grab the bench for us!

Rey's response back is practically immediate and I sigh in relief. Pocketing my phone, I turn back to the others.

"I'm sorry, but I have to run. It's nice to see you all again!" I say before half running out.

"No problem, Finn. Tell Rey we say 'Hi'!" Eve shouts down the hallway as I sign out.

Getting away from the theatre is the problem because there are fans waiting at the stage door. I really appreciate the fans, so I stop and take the time to talk to them and sign things for them, though I am trying to do it as quickly as possible. About five minutes later, I sign the last program and say goodbye to the small crowd before breaking out into a run. If I run as fast as I can, I may just make it.

After running at high-speed down countless streets, taking several shortcuts, and nearly getting hit by multiple taxis (which is partially my fault this time), Washington Square Park comes into view. Glancing down at my watch, I sigh in relief because I'm actually going to get there on time. I run across the street and stop right in front of the entrance to the park, breathing heavily. I haven't run that much in a while, so I really need to catch my breath. After a minute, I can breathe normally, so I walk into the park.

I may not like Washington Square Park very much, but even I have to admit that it looks nice in the spring. In fact, if I try hard enough, I can almost see the magic that Rey always claims is here. I head towards the bench that we always sit at and, sure enough, Rey is there. She is staring into the fountain which, thanks to the sun shining on the water, is almost rainbow coloured. I am about to call out to her when I suddenly stop in my tracks and just stare at her.

Rey tilts her head back slightly to capture the sun on her face and closes her eyes. At that moment, the breeze picks up a little and catches her hair, which is down today instead of in her usual buns. The way that her hair is almost floating around her head makes me think that she looks like something straight out of a movie. She then opens her eyes and turns her head in my direction. When she sees me, a smile stretches across her face and, for a moment I think that my heart stops beating. I feel my jaw drop and Rey chuckles. Suddenly, I find myself totally overwhelmed with emotion. I'm not exactly sure what I'm feeling, but I think I know what it might be.

Realizing that I must look like a complete and total fool, I quickly close my mouth and walk the short distance to Rey. She stands up, her purse over her shoulder.

"You made it! From your message, I was worried I wouldn't see you for a while. How did the Matinee go?" She asks me and I honestly try to respond, but my mind feels blank. She tilts her head to the side. "Finn? Is everything all right?"

I know that I need to respond to her. I want to tell her that everything is fine, but I'm feeling so much more than that. How can I possibly put into words what I am feeling for her right now? So, I take a deep breath and blurt out

"I love you!"

The moment that I say those three words, I know that they are true. I love Rey Skywalker and I have for a long time. I don't even know when I fell in love with her… perhaps I've always loved her. Rey, however, doesn't seem to take this very well. Her face pales and she looks shocked. She takes a step back and, before I can say anything else, she takes off running out of the park. I call out her name and run after her but, when I get to the entrance to the park, she is gone. I am about ready to kick myself. Why did I have to say it? I may have just ruined the best thing I've ever had.


	6. Chapter 6 - A September Wedding

A/N: Well, I'm back and it's been less than a month! Who knew that being stuck in quarantine would actually make me more productive? Oh well, I really wanted to get this chapter done because the last one was so angsty. This one still has angst, but it's a lot more fun. This was one of my favourite chapters to write, so I really hope that you like it. There will probably be an epilogue after this just to tie up the loose ends. So, sit back, relax, forget about everything in the news for a minute, and enjoy this chapter!

Disclaimer: I don't own Star Wars. I don't own any characters or quotes that are from the star wars movies, books, etc. I only own my own weird family tree that I've created (and I've loved every second of it). The ocs of Zantos and Xyva belong to my brother and friend respectively. The ocs Eve, Alaina, Cassandra, Shira, Talia (mentioned), and baby Kanan are all mine.

* * *

Chapter 6 – A September Wedding

Finn's POV

It's now the second week of September and things between Rey and I are not much better. After that day in May, I have tried to keep my distance. I clearly said the last thing that she wanted to hear, so I figured it would be best to just leave her alone. Eve and Xyva clearly thought the opposite, but I didn't want to push Rey to talk to me. So, aside from a handful of awkward conversations, we haven't seen much of each other over the past three and a half months.

Today, however, is the day that I will be seeing a lot of Rey. It is Zantos and Kaydel's wedding. I was invited to be one of Zantos' groomsmen back when everyone was convinced that Rey and I were dating. I assumed that I would be uninvited after May, but Zantos and Kaydel insisted that I still come, so here I am.

I am in a room with Zantos, Ben, and Snap, getting ready for the wedding which starts in a little more than an hour. Originally, Poe was also supposed to be a groomsman, but that all changed rather quickly, so Snap was asked instead. As Snap is asking Ben a question about the order that we are supposed to walk in, I can hear the hum of people as they walk below us. The Skywalkers rented this house because it is right next to the chapel where Zantos and Kaydel are getting married. Since this is where the reception is going to take place this evening, most guests are coming in and leaving their wedding gifts downstairs before they walk over to the chapel. Ben starts grumbling about having to wear a yellow tie and I am about to remind him that all the groomsmen wearing yellow ties when my phone suddenly rings. I pull it out and frown when I see that it's Kes and Shara calling me. Unless it's an emergency, Shara always texts me before they call to make sure that it's a good time. I look up at the other three, who are looking at me expectantly.

"Uh, I've got to get this. It's Kes and Shara." I say as I'm walking over to the door and they all nod before going back to what they're doing. I close the door behind me and click answer on my phone before lifting it up to my ear and saying "Hello?"

* * *

Ten minutes later, I burst back into the room with the groomsmen and grab my suit jacket off the chair where I left it. The other three in the room look at me, confused.

"Finn, what's going on?" Snap asks me and I shake my head.

"Where's Eve?" I ask Zantos and he frowns.

"She's with Kaydel and the others. Why?" He asks and I nod before heading back out into the hallway.

"Finn, what are you doing? Xyva will kill you because she'll think that you're Zantos!" Ben calls out after me, but for once I don't chuckle.

I make it across the house in record time to where Kaydel, Xyva, Eve, and Rey are all getting ready. I hear laughter coming from behind the door, which quickly turns into shrieks as I knock. Well, from the sounds of it, Rey and Kaydel shriek, Eve laughs, and Xyva starts screaming.

"ZANTOS SKYWALKER, THAT BETTER NOT BE YOU STANDING OUT THERE!" Xyva bellows and the door cracks open to reveal Eve. She looks up at me and grins before turning back to the others.

"Relax! It's only Finn." She says, still laughing.

"Finn?" I hear Rey say and my heart skips slightly at the sound of her voice. "What does he need?" Rey asks and Eve hushes them.

"Don't worry, I'll find out! Keep getting ready!"

Eve steps out into the hallway and closes the door behind her. She is wearing a pale yellow bridesmaid dress and her hair is all curled. She grins up at me before she notices the look on my face. Then, the smile slowly slips off her face and is replaced with a look of concern.

"Finn, what is it?" She asks and I sigh.

"I don't know how to tell you this, and I really didn't want to, but I checked the news and it's every single headline. You're going to be hearing about it from someone tonight, and I would rather that you hear it from someone who understands…" I trail off, grimacing at the lousy introduction I'm giving her.

"Finn?" Eve repeats my name, clearly wanting me to continue. I look away and she puts a hand on my arm. "You can tell me."

"I just got off the phone with Kes and Shara… Poe's base was attacked last night." I say and the colour drains almost entirely from Eve's face.

"What?" She almost whispers, but I can hear the alarm in her voice. She looks up at me and I can see the desperation in her eyes. "Do you know if… have they released… were there any..." Eve trails off, but I can tell what she's trying to ask.

"The initial report listed forty casualties. They believe that twenty are wounded, twelve are dead, and eight are missing, but they aren't sure yet." I repeat back what Kes shared with me from the news.

"Do you know if Poe…" She trails off again, clearly dreading the answer. I shake my head, sadly.

"I'm sorry. They haven't released any names yet and apparently radio contact with them was lost a couple hours ago. Even when radio contact is re-established, they won't want to release the names until families can be notified. I'm so sorry, Eve." I say quietly and she shakes her head.

"No, I'm glad that you told me. I much prefer hearing it from you since I know that at least one person will mention it to me tonight. They will be trying to be kind… but they don't get it. Oh, Finn, I'm being so selfish! How are you, Kes, and Shara doing?" She asks, clearly trying to appear fine, but I can see how glassy her eyes are. She is on the verge of tears.

"Kes and Shara have taken it pretty hard, but I think that they will both be better when they know for certain how Poe is. I'm pretty worried too, but this isn't about me. How are you feeling right now?" I ask and she bites her lip.

"I'm okay, it's just—Poe—" Eve's voice breaks as tears start to slip down her face. I wrap an arm around her shoulders and she turns towards me just as I hear the door open behind us. Xyva slips out in her yellow bridesmaid dress and takes one look at us before sighing, resting a hand on her hip.

"What happened this time? Wasn't it bad enough that Poe broke her heart in January? I swear if he's hurt her again—" The beginning of what's clearly about to be a Xyva tirade is cut short by footsteps running down the hallway towards us. I look up to see Zantos and Snap both run around the corner, phones in hand. Seeing his younger twin crying, Zantos quickly walks over and puts his arm around Eve, moving her towards the side of the hallway. Snap comes over to me.

"Finn, we just found out. When you ran out, we figured something was wrong, so we checked the news. Do you know anything yet?" Snap asks and I shake my head.

"What's going on?" Xyva calls out, missing most of what Snap just said.

"No. We won't know the details for a few days." I reply to Snap and Zantos looks up at me.

"You mean Poe could be dead right now and we won't know for several days?" Zantos asks rather loudly and I give him a look, trying to get him to shut up. Xyva, unfortunately hears this comment and her eyes grow unnaturally wide.

"Wait, Poe's dead?!" Xyva exclaims and I groan.

"No, Xyva. Poe's base was attacked. We don't know how he's doing."

"But he could be dead!" Xyva gasps and I glance over at Eve. This is certainly not helping her feel better. Before I can say anything else, Rey comes running out in her bright yellow bridesmaid dress. Part of my mind registers that all three girls are wearing different shades of yellow to match the ties of the groomsmen, but that is the least of my worries at the moment. Rey glances quickly at everyone before running over to me.

"Poe's base has been attacked? Do we know if he's all right?" She asks and I shake my head. Then, the door starts to open again and we hear Kaydel's voice.

"Did I just hear—" She starts but Xyva is over at the door in a flash, yelling.

"KAYDEL KO CONNIX, YOU GET BACK IN THAT ROOM RIGHT NOW! ZANTOS IS OUT HERE AND YOU AREN'T ALLOWED TO SEE EACH OTHER BEFORE THE WEDDING!" That is enough to make all of us wince and I feel a little sorry for Kaydel. You don't want to be against the wrath of Xyva.

This is the moment when Ben finally decides to make an appearance. He walks around the corner and stops in his tracks. I guess we must look pretty silly. Zantos is standing off to the side, holding Eve, who is fully crying at this point. Snap, Rey, and I are all standing together rather seriously in the middle of the hallway. And then there is Xyva who basically has herself plastered against the door to where Kaydel is, grumbling about the fact that the bride and groom can't see each other before the wedding. Looking at the chaos in this hallway, Ben asks the only logical question at the moment.

"What's going on?" Everyone but Eve looks at me, so I sigh and quickly explain.

"Poe's base was attacked last night and we all only just found out. There are definitely casualties, but we have no way of knowing if Poe is alright or not. It will probably be several days before we know for certain." I state and Ben nods in acknowledgment. Then, he walks over to Zantos and Eve. Zantos and Ben share a look before Zantos nods and steps back, allowing Ben to put an arm around Eve.

"Well, I bet this was the last thing you were expecting to find out today. Especially with Xyva screaming like that, huh?" He asks and Eve lets out a small, watery laugh. Xyva says a sharp "Hey!" but Ben ignores her.

"Why don't we go take a walk in the garden? I think the fresh air and the flowers will cheer you up so then you'll be ready for this wedding." He suggests with a smile and Eve smiles, shaking her head.

"But you hate flowers, Ben. You always say that they are too cheerful and that they make you feel sick." Eve states and Ben chuckles.

"I think I'll live. Come on, let's go. The sooner we go out and get you calmed down, the sooner you can come back and make sure that my fiancée hasn't dressed Kaydel up in a mourning gown for agreeing to marry your brother."

This comment makes Eve chuckle and she nods. Ben leads her down the stairs and Zantos and Snap head back to the other end of the house. I am leaving as well when I stop and turn around. Xyva has gone back into the room, but Rey is standing in the doorway, watching me. Before either of us can say anything, we hear Xyva's voice.

"You know, black really isn't that bad of an idea. It could represent your fall into insanity. I think I even have some black ink with me…" Xyva trails off.

"Don't you even think about it!" Kaydel calls back, not letting Xyva say anything else.

Rey and I look at each other again and both try not to start laughing. She smiles at me before slipping back into the room and shutting the door behind her. I wait until the door is latched before I walk back down the halls to the other end of the house. That was the first time Rey has smiled at me in months… Perhaps things are not broken beyond repair. Perhaps today is the day that we will finally be able to talk about what happened in May.

* * *

Finally, it's time for the wedding to begin. All of Kaydel and Zantos' friends and family were in attendance and everyone is happy. In fact, the joyfulness of the occasion is truly infectious. At the front of the church, Zantos is standing next to the minister. Snap, being best man, is standing next to Zantos. Ben is standing next to Snap and I am standing on the end. From where I am standing, I can see Snap's wife, Karé, sitting in one of the first rows. She looks very proud of her husband and when Snap catches her gaze, he stands up a little taller. Their silent interaction makes me smile.

Then, the music starts. Rey is the first to walk down the aisle. I catch her eye as she walks past and she beams at me. Xyva is next and is followed closely by Eve, the maid of honour. They take their places and then everyone stands. Kaydel's parents are both dead, so Luke offered to walk her down the aisle. She agreed and it is truly a sweet sight to see the two of them. When they get down to the end of the aisle. Luke gives his son a pointed look which makes all of us laugh. Luke smiles and claps his son's shoulder before taking his seat. Kaydel passes Eve her bouquet and then everyone but Zantos, Kaydel, and the minister sit down. The service now begins

* * *

The service is perfect and, before we know it, Zantos is giving Kaydel a kiss. We all cheer and then Eve and Snap go up with the newlyweds to sign the register. After a couple minutes, Zantos and Kaydel are walking up the aisle. Snap and Eve follow the newlyweds and Ben and Xyva walk behind them. Rey and I are next. I offer her my arm and consider it a silent victory that she actually takes it. We are the end of the wedding party, so the rest of the Skywalkers follow us before the guests all file out of the chapel. After the wedding party has greeted all the guests, we get pictures done on the chapel steps and also in the garden by the house. As we are all lined up, I can see why Kaydel chose to have Rey, Xyva, and Eve in different shades of yellow. The way that they are lined up for the pictures means that the colour of the dresses fades from a bright yellow (Rey's dress) to white (Kaydel's dress). It actually looks really pretty.

I swear that dozens of pictures are taken. Some of the bridal party, some with Luke and Alaina, some with the whole Skywalker family, and then some of just Zantos and Kaydel. Then, the photographer starts to take some photos of the bridesmaids and groomsmen. He takes one of Eve and Snap, but then Eve insists that he take one of Snap with Karé instead. It's really sweet and everyone agrees that it's a good idea. I am smiling watching the shenanigans of Ben and Xyva trying to get their picture taken when I notice Rey stop next to me. I turn to look at her, but her gaze is focused on the others with the photographer. After a minute, she speaks.

"I love weddings. There's something about it that seems so magical. Don't you think?" She looks up at me and I nod.

"Yeah… You can't help but be happy." I reply. We are silent for a second before I decide that now is just as good a time as ever to talk to her about what happened in May.

"Rey—" I don't get any further than her name because Eve comes running over to us with the photographer.

"Rey! Finn! Stay right there! We need to get some pictures of you two and this is perfect."

Rey smiles awkwardly at me and shifts closer to me. We stand side by side until Eve gives me a look. I take a deep breath before putting my arm around Rey's waist. Rey looks up at me in surprise and I inwardly grimace. Why did I do that?

"Sorry, I guess I should have asked first." I say as I start to withdraw my arm, but I stop when I feel her place her hand on top of mine.

"No, it's fine. It just surprised me, that's all." She smiles softly before turning to the photographer. I look up at the photographer and I can honestly say that he doesn't even need to tell me to smile.

* * *

Luckily the beautiful day turned into a beautiful evening, so the reception is able to take place outside, as planned. There is a table just for Zantos and Kaydel at the top of the patio and we are all at tables which are situated along the perimeter of the dance floor. I am seated at the table for the bridal party, which is to the left of the newlyweds' table. Eve, Snap, Karé, Ben, Xyva, Rey, and I are all seated around the table. Karé was originally supposed to be at another table, but we all insisted that she join us. To the right of Zantos and Kaydel's table is the table for family. At this table is Luke, Alaina, Leia, Han, Maz, Chewie, Wedge, and Norra. Wedge and Norra are Snap's parents, but Wedge and Alaina grew up together, so they are considered to be part of the Skywalker family. I was a little surprised to see Maz and Chewie there, but Ben told me that Chewie is basically his uncle, so that makes sense too. It's kind of funny how everyone is connected in some way to everyone else.

After all of the speeches and toasts, the dinner was served. It was really good and we all had a great time. I am sitting next to Rey, and this is the longest that we have been next to each other since before May. She doesn't talk a lot to me, but she also doesn't ignore me, so that's a good sign. Before long, Zantos and Kaydel are cutting the wedding cake and serving it to the guests. It's a marble cake with vanilla icing and it tastes really good. As Xyva is exclaiming that the cake is so moist, Eve freezes.

"Oh no." She groans, putting her head down in her hands. "This can't be happening." We all look at her in concern.

"Eve, what is it?" Rey asks her and Eve sighs, pointing to doors leading from the house to the patio.

"Look who decided to show up uninvited." Eve says and we all turn to look.

Two old men are moving through the doors to where we are. One man is in a wheelchair and the other is pushing said wheelchair. The man walking is old, scarred, and looks like less than a joy to be around. The man in the wheelchair, however, looks even older and scarier. The two men see us and the man in the wheelchair barks for the other to wheel him over to us. I turn back to Eve, Rey, and Ben.

"Who are they?" I ask and Rey smiles awkwardly.

"The man in the wheelchair is our great-grandfather, Sheev Palpatine. The man with him is his business partner, Andrew Snoke. No one, however, refers to them by their first names." Rey mutters and my eyes widen.

"He's your great-grandfather?" I ask and Eve nods.

"Yes. He's Mum's grandfather."

"But I thought that your grandparents are dead…" I trail off, trying to figure out how old this Palpatine is. Eve nods again.

"They are… Mum and Dad actually thought that Great-grandfather died thirty years ago, but here he is. Nothing seems to kill him, unfortunately…" Eve mutters the last word, but we all hear it and try not to laugh as Snoke wheels Palpatine right up next to Eve.

"Great-grandfather Palpatine! What a… surprise it is to see you here." Eve says diplomatically and Xyva snorts. "How have you been doing?" Eve continues, trying to be polite. Palpatine grins in a way that reminds me of a crocodile.

"Well, I recently celebrated my 118th birthday." He states and the whole table looks at each other, clearly thinking the same thing – _how is this guy still alive?_

"118... that's quite an accomplishment." I say, grasping for words. Xyva picks up her glass, muttering "That's one way to put it" as she drinks. Palpatine looks over at me and has Snoke wheel his chair closer to me.

"You seem surprised, young Finn, but the dark side of the force is a pathway to many abilities some consider to be... unnatural."

I glance over at Rey and she shrugs. Eve clears her throat.

"What an interesting reminder of what you did for a living." She says and I can tell that Ben and Rey are trying really hard not to laugh.

"I learned many interesting things in my youth... none of which your family has bothered to learn from." He spits out at Eve before turning back to me. "Tell me, young Finn, did you ever hear the tragedy of Darth Plagueis the Wise?" He leans forward and stares at me intently. I shift uncomfortably under his gaze.

"Uh... no?" My answer sounds more like a question and Palpatine sighs, leaning back in his wheelchair.

"I thought not. It's not a story that this family would tell you." He mutters and then, seemingly out of nowhere, Alaina appears to rescue us.

"Okay, you know what, Grandfather? Why don't you come with me and sit at the table with Maz, Chewie, Han, Leia, Wedge, Norra, Luke, and I? I'm sure that Maz will find your tale fascinating! Why don't we leave the younger generation to talk amongst themselves?" Alaina looks around for Snoke to help wheel Palpatine away, but the old man is over at the food table, eating some wedding cake. Alaina sighs before she takes hold of Palpatine's wheelchair and starts moving him away from the table. He reaches up and pats her arm.

"Alaina... I had such hopes for my descendants. If only your mother had married someone other than that Kenobi... He has tainted the Palpatine bloodline." Hearing this, Eve looks over at Rey and dramatically feigns shock. Rey starts quietly laughing.

"Well, Grandfather, I'm sure that I must be even more of a disappointment because I married a Skywalker." Alaina says matter-of-factly and I hear Rey mutter "Go Mum!" Palpatine gives her a withering look over before sighing.

"Yes, you did, didn't you? Well, I suppose you got that pathetic rebellious streak from your parents. I always thought that you should be part of the company, but they wouldn't let you!"

"And thank God they didn't! I am very happy with my life and the decisions that I have made. If you don't like that, you and Snoke can leave." Palpatine goes quiet after that and, for a minute, there seems to be a staring contest between grandfather and granddaughter. Finally, Palpatine lets out a sigh of disgust and shakes his head.

"I will not leave until the festivities are over, so I will stay and talk with you and Skywalker." Alaina nods and wheels him away, but we all hear him say "The things I do for this pathetic family!"

We last all of five seconds before we all burst out laughing. I have no idea what has just happened, but it was hilarious. When we calm down, I turn to Rey, Eve, and Ben.

"So why is there such antagonism between Palpatine and Alaina?" I ask and Ben smiles.

"Well, Palpatine was the head of a gang called The Empire in his days. We don't know too much about it – Aunt Alaina doesn't even know the whole story. Her parents only told her the basic facts." Ben starts, looking at Eve to continue.

"Great-grandfather Palpatine apparently hoped that his daughter, Talia, would take over the gang after him, but Grandma Talia did anything but that. Instead, she married Obi-wan Kenobi – a police officer." Eve states and we all chuckle a little.

"So Palpatine hates your grandparents because they turned him in?" I ask and Rey nods.

"Basically. Ever since then, Palpatine has been lying low. He shows up every once in a while, but none of us know why." Rey finishes.

"He's probably just here for the free food." Xyva mutters before taking a bite of cake and Eve shrugs.

"That honestly wouldn't surprise me." We all glance over at Palpatine and, sure enough, he grabs a piece of cake as he is wheeled by the food table. We all laugh.

Before the conversation can continue, two couples move towards us. The first couple is Jacen and Cassandra Syndulla. Cassandra is holding their five-month-old son. Eve squeals and stands up to greet them and I do the same. This is the first time that we have seen Cassandra since February.

"Jacen, Cassandra, it's so good to see you!" Eve exclaims, giving them both hugs. Then, her attention is immediately drawn to the boy. "Is this little Kanan?" She asks and Cassandra nods happily.

"Yes. Everyone, I would like you to officially meet our son, Kanan Cassian Syndulla." Cassandra says and the whole table smiles. I look over at Jacen.

"Kanan Cassian? Is he named for someone?" I ask and Jacen nods.

"He is named for both our fathers. Kanan for mine and Cassian for hers." Jacen explains and I nod. Both Jacen and Cassandra's fathers had died before they were born. They had been raised by their mothers, who told them about their fathers. Considering that I never knew either of my parents, I totally get how they feel. Naming their son for both of their fathers is almost a way for them to live on in the next generation.

"Hera and Shira must be pretty proud grandmothers." I say and Cassandra nods.

"That they are! They're over at our table, but I think if it was up to them, they would be taking Kanan around and introducing him to everyone."

"And why not? He's adorable!" Xyva smiles and Ben gives her an odd look. She looks back at him, confused. "What?" She asks and he shakes his head.

"No, nothing… I just never realized that your voice could go that high." He smirks and she rolls her eyes, smacking his arm.

Before anything else can be said, the other couple that I noticed earlier stops at our table. To my complete shock it is none other than Rose and Hux, arm-in-arm! I glance at the others to see shocked looks on their faces too. Jacen looks at Rose and smiles.

"Rose, I'm glad you're here! We'd like you to meet our son, Kanan."

Rose wastes no time in greeting the baby and even takes him into her arms for a minute before passing him back to his mother. Hux looks pretty uneasy, which I must admit is pretty funny. The rest of us, meanwhile, are still trying to figure out why Hux and Rose are together.

"Rose, Hux, it's great to see both of you." Rey says and Xyva snorts. We all look at her.

"Sorry, I swallowed some water the wrong way. Now, are you two dating?" Xyva asks rather bluntly and we all look at her again. She glances over at me and Eve and mouths "What?" I shake my head and look back at Rose. Rose flushes a little and nods.

"Yeah, we are dating." Rose smiles and Hux looks incredibly uncomfortable. This would actually be pretty funny if we weren't all in a state of shock. Luckily, Karé is there to save the day.

"That is wonderful! How did you two meet?" She asks sweetly and Rose grins.

"Well, we met when he came to see _Anastasia_ in May. Hux and Ben are coworkers so they both came to a Matinee to support Eve. After the show, we met and I happened to tell him that I performing for the first time as Anya that evening. After the show that evening, I found Hux standing at the stage door with flowers for me. When he found out that it was going to be my first show as the lead, he bought a ticket for the evening performance and got me flowers. I thought that was so sweet! We've seen each other a bit over the past few months, but we officially started dating last month." She finishes and Hux smiles, putting an arm around her waist. It is silent for a split second before the girls all snap out of their shock.

"Really? Wow! That's wonderful! Isn't it, Ben?" Xyva exclaims and not-so-subtly elbows Ben to agree.

"What? Oh, yeah! That's really surprising… but good!" Ben quickly amends when he sees his fiancée's glare.

"We're happy for both of you." Eve says and gives Rose a hug. Rose beams back before Cassandra clears her throat, shifting Kanan in her arms.

"We'd love to stay and chat all evening, but it looks like Zantos and Kaydel are about to have their first dance, so we should head back to our tables. It's great talking to all of you and we'll see you later!"

We all say goodbye to them and, sure enough, Zantos and Kaydel make their way to the dance floor for their first dance. It's really sweet and, before long, the dance floor is open to everyone. Snap and Karé are the first at our table to get up to dance, and they are quickly followed by Ben and Xyva. I want to ask Rey to dance, but I feel badly when I see Eve alone. Luckily, Luke walks over to our table and sits down next to Eve. He looks at the three of us and sighs.

"I thought I'd never get away from there! Palpatine and Leia are currently in the middle of a heated debate about politics, which is something you never want to get caught in the middle of." We chuckle and he grins before turning to Eve.

"Eve, we heard about what happened today in the news. Actually, it was all Leia could talk about for half the meal. If the government doesn't find a way to rescue those at the base, I swear Leia is going to have Han fly _The Falcon_ out and rescue them all herself!" Eve laughs at her father's comment.

"Why is it that I can actually see Aunt Leia doing that?" She mutters and Luke raises his eyebrows.

"Because she's your Aunt Leia. She's a little crazy, but don't tell her I said that! Now, your mother is over talking to Shira and I noticed that you have no dance partner. So, how about taking your old father for a turn about the floor?" Luke offers, standing up and holding out his hand to her. Eve smiles and takes her father's hand, standing up too.

"You're not that old, Dad, but thank you."

They walk off to the dance floor and suddenly it's just Rey and me at the table. We sit silently next to each other, watching the other couples file onto the floor. Wedge and Norra are dancing over to the side and I notice Hux leading Rose onto the floor. Jacen grabs Cassandra's hand and they join the others on the dance floor. Alaina is sitting next to Shira, holding little Kanan on her lap. Everyone is so happy. I glance at Rey next to me and, before I lose my courage, I stand up.

"Do you want to dance?" I ask, holding my hand out to her. She looks up at me, surprised, before she nods and takes my hand.

"I'd love to." She beams at me and I'm a goner.

We walk onto the dance floor and I try to ignore the excited stares of Eve and Xyva. I keep a hold of Rey's hand and move my other hand to her waist. She puts her other hand on my shoulder and we start to dance. We are both quiet for a while before I take a deep breath.

"Rey, I'd like to talk about what happened in May." I say quietly and she sighs, starting to pull back.

"You don't have to explain yourself, Finn. It's fine and it's all in the past." She says coolly and I shake my head.

"No. I don't want to leave it all in the past. It's been left unresolved for months and I don't think we can keep on awkwardly walking around the issue like we have been." I reason and she slowly nods.

"All right… Why did you say that you love me?" She says I take a deep breath.

"Because I do." Clearly this was not the desired response because she steps back from me and starts to walk back to the table. I sigh. It's now or never.

"Do you remember how we would always run into each other at the market on 10th Street after we first met?" I blurt out and she stops, turning back to look at me.

"Yes… why?" I gather up my courage and start to tell her my side of the story.

"Well, I hated that market. I saw it as just a big junk heap, which honestly isn't surprising considering that Maz' shop is the jewel of the market. The only reason why I was there that day is because Eve had to fix up Maz' car before we could go out for lunch. I didn't like it and I was vocal about my dislike of the place, but I went there every single Sunday morning – rain or shine – just so that I could spend the morning with you. It wasn't a fluke, Rey. I actually got up early to get there the same time each week."

"What?" Rey frowns and I continue.

"And then there's that bakery, Takodana Treats. I think we both know that it's not one of the best places to get baked goods since the cupcakes are always stale and the staff expect fifty dollar tips for throwing cookies into a takeaway box, but you love the peach cobbler there. So, whenever you were upset or feeling down, I would go get you some."

"You got me some after our first disagreement…" Rey mutters and I nod.

"Because I knew that you love it so much and I wanted to make you feel better. And then there's Washington Square Park. You know that I'm not crazy about the city – I prefer something quieter and more rural. If I was going to choose a park for us to visit, I would have chosen Central Park, where you can almost pretend that you're not in the middle of a huge city. But you have that bench in Washington Square that you always go to. So, despite the fact that it's surrounded by concrete and, more often then not there were groups of hippies protesting something—" Rey giggles at that and nods as I continue "—I met you there every single day because I wanted to see you. I loved the fact that we could talk about anything and everything." I pause and Rey looks down.

"You were always on time except for that day in May…" She comments and I shake my head.

"Actually, Rey, I was there on time." I mutter and she looks up at me in surprise.

"What?" She gasps and I continue.

"It was the day that Rose and Hux met, actually. We were all talking when you texted me and I realised that I was probably going to be late. Although I texted you that I was going to be late, I really didn't want to keep you waiting and I didn't want you to get tired of waiting and just go home. So, I basically ran the entire way from the Broadhurst Theatre to Washington Square Park. I actually got there a couple minutes early, but I wanted to catch my breath so that I didn't collapse in front of you. I walked into the park and I saw you right away. I was going to walk right up and sit down but, when I saw you, I froze. Seeing you sitting there… you were beautiful. You are beautiful, Rey. And when I was watching you, I found myself distracted by all of these feelings for you that had been developing since we first met. You asked me if I was all right and I really wanted to answer properly, but the only thing I could think to say was "I love you". The words were as true then as they are now, but you ran away, so I figured you were mad at me. After that, I thought it would be better if I gave you some space." I finish, letting out a deep breath

Rey is staring at me in shock, trying to digest all of what I just told her. I notice out of the corner of my eye that Eve, Luke, Xyva, and Ben have all stopped dancing and are watching the two of us, but I don't care. All that matters to me right now is Rey.

"You know Finn, I was never mad at you… I was just scared. I don't trust easily and I had convinced myself that, despite what my family was saying, we were just friends. I knew that we were very close friends, but just friends. Then, you suddenly told me that you love me and I completely panicked. I followed my first instinct, which was to run home as fast as I could and tell all my troubles to Eve. She thought that I was pretty silly, but I honestly couldn't believe that you cared for me as more than a friend. I thought that everything would be resolved the next day, but then you walked to the theatre on your own. I realised that you were giving me space, but I figured that you must hate me now." She says the last bit more to herself and I feel my eyes widen.

"Hate you? Rey, I could never! I thought that I ruined everything when you ran off, so I tried to keep my distance, but I never hated you." We both stop and stare at each other for a second before starts laughing.

"Wow. We really messed this up, didn't we?" She says and I chuckle.

"Yeah, we sure did." After a pause, Rey looks me straight in the eyes.

"Finn, do you really love me?" She asks quietly, but directly. I take her hands in mine.

"Yes, Rey, I really love you." She lets out a deep breath and I take that as a bad sign. "I'm not expecting you to tell me that you love me tonight. You may never feel this way, but I wanted you to know how I feel about you before—"

I don't finish my sentence because Rey, who starts smiling at me, puts her hand behind my head and steps up on her tiptoes to kiss me. For a second my mind goes blank, but then my senses come back to me and I kiss her back, my arms wrapping around her waist. Eventually we break apart and she beams up at me.

"I love you too." She says and I feel my eyes widen.

"Really?" I ask and her smile widens as she laughs.

"Yes. I love you, Finn."

"YES!"

Comes a shout from next to us and we turn to see Xyva jumping up and down. Ben is nodding his head in approval and Eve and Luke are laughing. Alaina is beaming at the two of us, but starts laughing when she looks over at another table. Rey and I both glance over at the Skywalker/Solo table to see Leia smirking as Han hands her a $10 bill. Palpatine, meanwhile, is sitting next to them in his wheelchair, glaring at us. He grumbles something about Rey being such a disappointment before taking a large bite of cake. Next to them, Zantos and Kaydel are also beaming. Zantos nods at me and Kaydel claps.

Rey flushes red in embarrassment and hides her face against my shoulder. I smile slightly and Rey pulls back looking up at me in amusement.

"Well, I guess you can never say that our lives are boring." She grins and I laugh before leaning down and kissing her again.

We dance late into the evening with the rest of the guests, but all I can think of is Rey. Everything is perfect right now because she's with me.


	7. Chapter 7 - A Joyous Occasion

**A/N:** So, I meant to have this posted A LOT sooner than now, but that didn't work out. Then I thought it would be ready for Star Wars Day, but that didn't happen either because I decided I wanted to watch Star Wars. So, anyways, sorry that this is late!  
This chapter was so much fun to write because I got to fill it with fluff. The chapter was getting long, but I decided to keep the epilogue in this chapter because I wanted it to be together. I really hope that you all like this chapter and feel that it is a good ending to this story. Thank you for all of your support through reads, kudos, and comments. It really means a lot to me. So, sit back, relax, and enjoy!

 **Disclaimer:** You know the drill. I don't own Star Wars or the song that this story is based off. The characters that you recognize are not mine. Alaina, Eve, Zantos, Xyva, and Carrie are mine.

* * *

 **Chapter 7 – A Joyous Occasion**

Finn's POV

It's the end of October and I am once again in the house that Skywalkers rented for Zantos and Kaydel's wedding. The only difference is that this time the Solos have rented it for Ben and Xyva's wedding. Xyva has Rey and Kaydel as her bridesmaids and Eve as her maid of honour. Ben was going to have Poe as his best man but, instead of replacing him, he simply asked Zantos to sign the register in Poe's place. I am paired up with Rey again and Zantos and Kaydel, who got back from their honeymoon only a couple weeks ago, are also paired together, which means that Eve will be alone.

So, I am now in the upstairs bedroom with Ben and Zantos, getting ready. The colour scheme this time is blue, but Ben got his wish and is wearing a black tie. I am adjusting my blue tie when my phone buzzes in my pocket from a message. I look down at it and grin.

"I've got to go find Eve." I say to Ben and Zantos who look up at me, hopefully.

"Does that mean we're on to plan B?" Ben asks and I nod.

"Sure does." I reply and I hear Zantos let out a whoop as I leave the room. I walk across the house to where the girls are getting ready and knock on the door. Before I can say anything, a deafening shriek erupts from the room.

"BENJAMIN SOLO, THAT HAD BETTER NOT BE YOU LURKING BEHIND THAT DOOR. IF IT IS, I SWEAR TO GOD THAT I WILL—" Xyva's practically screams, but I only hear the true volume of her voice when the door opens and Rey's face appears. She beams at me and my heart skips a beat, temporarily making me forget Xyva's screaming. Before Xyva can continue, Rey laughs and shakes her head.

"Xyva! It's only Finn! I dare say Ben would know better than to come anywhere near this room on today of all days." Rey calls out in a voice loud enough to stop Xyva. The door opens a little wider and I see Xyva tilt her head slightly before gathering some of her white skirt up in her hands to step off the platform and move over to the door.

"Oh, hello Finn. Why didn't you just say it was you? What can we do for you today?" Xyva says in her normal voice and I am about to point out that I didn't have time to say it was me when I decide to just not bother. It's not worth the grief and, besides, it scares me how easily she can switch between talking and screaming.

"I see they managed to get you into a white gown Xyva. I thought you were dressing up at Morticia Addams…" I tease and she shrugs.

"Morticia is for Halloween. I didn't want anyone to think that I don't want to get married. Ben may be an idiot at times, but at least he's my idiot." Xyva reasons and Kaydel and Eve start giggling behind her. Xyva glances back at them before leaning towards me. "I actually did want to wear the black dress at first, but Eve convinced me not to." She whispers conspiratorially and I nod.

"Ah, I see… I actually came to talk to Eve. Can I see her for a minute?" I say and Xyva frowns, glancing over at Eve, who has taken a step forward, looking a little concerned.

"Fine… but no tears like last time! I want only tears of joy at my wedding." Xyva declares before walking back into the room. Rey looks up at me and I smile at her.

"Who said it wouldn't be tears of joy?" I mutter and Rey stares at me in surprise. Before she can say anything, Eve comes to the door.

"Is everything all right, Finn?" She asks and I can see the unspoken question in her eyes. I smile.

"Yes." I don't have to say anything else before she gasps.

"Where?" She looks up with hopeful, glassy eyes and I tilt my head towards the stairs.

"Front yard." Is all I say before she takes off running towards the stairs that will lead to the front entrance of the house. Rey stares at me in confusion for a moment before her eyes widen.

"Do you mean that…" She trails off and I smile.

"Come on, there's a window at the end of the hall that should give us a pretty good view. Kaydel, Xyva, come on!"

"Wait a second, I can't go out there! What if Ben sees—" Xyva starts to protest, but I interrupt her.

"Ben is not going to see you, so you're fine. Now, please Xyva. Come on!"

With a huff, Xyva comes out of the room and walks to the end of the hall with Kaydel, Rey, and I. Rey and I open up the window and we all lean our heads out. Xyva, looking down, gasps.

"Is that…" She trails off in surprise and Kaydel grins.

"Yes!"

Standing outside the SUV in the front yard is Poe. He is still in his uniform and his arm is bandaged and in a sling, but he is here and he is alive. There is a bang as the front screen door slams open, and Eve appears at the edge of the deck a moment later. She freezes when she sees him, her hand on the post next to her. After a moment, Poe quietly says her name and that is all it takes to snap her out of her trance. Eve gasps and runs off the porch, throwing her arms around Poe. Rey glances up at me, joy for her sister clear on her face. I wrap an arm around her and kiss her cheek and then she leans against me. Xyva frowns and looks at Rey and I.

"Did you both know about this?" Xyva asks us and we glance at each other before looking back at her and nodding slowly.

"Uh yeah." Rey says, rather confused, and Xyva looks at us in disbelief.

"Well why didn't you tell me?"

"Because you would have told Eve and then it wouldn't have been a surprise." I deadpan and Xyva looks offended.

"What? I would never! Finn, I am excellent at keeping secrets!" She declares and Rey shakes her head.

"Xyva, you're really not."

"Hey!"

"Rey's not wrong. If you knew, you would have been bound to tell her, even if it was by accident." Kaydel reasons and Xyva huffs.

"Fine, I can't keep secrets. Now hush! I want to hear what's going on." We all roll our eyes at Xyva, but we all stop talking and lean just a little further out the window to hear what is being said. Sure, we probably shouldn't be eavesdropping, but we are all way too curious about what might happen. Eve pulls back a bit from Poe, putting a hand on his good shoulder.

"You're really here." Eve breathes. "But how?"

"I got discharged from the hospital early. They sent me home on the first flight, my parents picked me up at the airport, and they brought me here." Poe nods towards Kes and Shara, who are just getting out of the vehicle. They greet Eve before heading inside the house.

"How is your arm and shoulder?" Eve asks, her hand hovering over Poe's sling. A day or so after news of the attack was released, Kes and Shara got a call. They were told that Poe had been found and was alive, but he had a broken collarbone and humerus and had a fever from some sort of infection. Poe was recovering at a hospital overseas for the past few weeks because they didn't want to move him until his fever broke. Then, they just figured they would keep him at the hospital until he was healed.

"Just about healed. I don't think I'll need the sling for much longer." Poe replies and Xyva groans. Rey, Kaydel, and I all look at her in confusion.

"Why are they being so civil with each other? You wouldn't think that they are seriously dating from the way that they are acting right now." Xyva rolls her eyes.

"Well, they didn't exactly part on the best of circumstances, now did they?" I shrug and Rey shakes her head.

"But I thought that they had talked things over and fixed their problem. Eve was writing letters to him and, when she found out about the attack, she was heartbroken." Rey mutters.

"Exactly. If things were not good between them, she would have told me!" Xyva declares and we all stare at her in disbelief.

"You're kidding, right? Xyva, I think that you would be the last person Eve would tell if Poe upset her." I say and Xyva looks offended.

"It's true, Xyva. Remember when they broke up? You yelled that he was a dead man, along with a few other things that I don't really care to repeat." Rey trails off and Kaydel looks over at us, raising an eyebrow.

"Rey's right. Xyva wasn't exactly quiet and we, along with the rest of the floor in our apartment building, could hear the whole thing. To be honest, I don't think that it really helped the situation much." I confirm and Xyva glares at me.

"Fine! Let's trash the bride on her wedding day. You could be a little nicer about it…" Xyva grumbles and Kaydel looks apologetic.

"Xyva, we're so—" Kaydel starts to apologise before Xyva suddenly shushes all of us.

"Quiet! I want to hear what's going on!"

" –never mind." Kaydel finishes quietly and I have to hold back a chuckle as we turn our attention back to Eve and Poe standing below us. Eve smiles at Poe and takes his good hand in hers.

"We should get you inside. The others will be really excited to see you. Everyone was worried about you – even Xyva and Aunt Leia!"

Eve drops his hand and starts to walk away when Poe suddenly grabs her hand. She stops and turns back to him in surprise. The screen door squeaks quietly as it opens again and I am guessing that it's Kes and Shara reappearing with Luke and Alaina. Sure enough, the four become visible at the edge of the porch. The air is full of excitement.

"Eve… I have been a complete and total idiot." Poe states.

"Darn right!" Xyva mutters and I can tell that Rey is both agreeing and trying not to laugh at this. Eve doesn't say anything, letting him continue.

"I should have told you about my deployment as soon as I was told about it. I know that I used many excuses for not telling you until the last minute, and all of them were incredibly stupid. I believed that you wouldn't understand and I said that I didn't want you to worry. Well, considering the fact that you have several family members in the military who have been deployed, it was a dumb excuse that made no sense. It's funny how it took Finn scolding me and Xyva threatening to kill me to realize just what an idiot I had been."

"I did not—" Xyva starts to object, but Kaydel of all people interrupts her.

"Yes, you did. Now hush!" Rey, Xyva, and I all stare at her in shock for a split second before we turn our attention back to Poe and Eve.

"… it wasn't really that I didn't want you to worry about me… it was that I didn't want to worry about you. I don't know why, but I was really scared. Instead of talking to you like I always do, I turned away to try and deal with it myself, pushing you away in the process. I thought that if I broke things off, you wouldn't be worrying about me and I wouldn't be distracted thinking and worrying about you while I was gone. Well, that completely backfired, didn't it?" He mutters and she smiles softly.

"It's okay, Poe. You know that I forgave you long ago for that. You don't need to keep apologizing." Eve tries to reason, but Poe shakes his head

"No, it's not okay, Eve. I hurt you and thought I could just solve everything with one conversation right before I left. There is so much that I wanted to say – that I meant to say to you, but I never got the chance. I tried writing to you multiple times, but I could never get the right words down. I wanted to tell you how much I love you and I couldn't stop dreaming of the day that I would see you again… It's funny, but up until I was told about my deployment, I was planning on proposing." He chuckles slightly and Eve looks surprised before taking a step closer.

"Well, why didn't you? I would have said yes." She looks up at him and he sighs, running a hand over his face.

"Because I was an idiot and thought it wouldn't be fair to propose and then leave. After I left, I thought I would ask you the day I returned from the mission, but I assumed that you would be even less likely to agree now. Then, we were attacked and I didn't even know if I was going to see you again. I just wanted to tell you that I loved you one last time."

"Tell me." Eve says quietly and, from the sounds of it, she is close to tears. Xyva sniffles next to us but, for her sake, we pretend not to notice. Poe smiles at her before he suddenly drops down to one knee. Eve gasps and takes a step back in surprise. We all gasp too, but the girls' gasps turn into quiet squeals of excitement.

"Eve Skywalker, I love you. I love you so much that those words don't seem enough. I have loved every moment that I spend with you and I wanted to propose on our second date, but figured it would be too early. I almost missed my chance and, while this may not be the best time either because you might say no, I don't want to wait another second. Eve, will you marry me?"

It is silent for a second and Rey, Kaydel, Xyva, and I all lean further out the window. Out of the corner of my eye, I notice Ben and Zantos doing the same at the other end of the house. I can tell that Eve is crying, but she is beaming at Poe.

"Of course I will!" She gasps out through tears of happiness and wide grin breaks out across Poe's face. He jumps up and wraps his good arm around Eve before kissing her. At this point, we all burst out cheering. Eve and Poe pull apart and look up at us, laughing in disbelief.

"Were you there this whole time?" Eve calls up and Rey nods.

"Of course! You think we'd miss this?" She calls back. Luke, Alaina, Kes, and Shara walk off the deck to congratulate the couple and we all cheer again when Poe puts the engagement ring on Eve's finger.

"I hope you like it. I've had it for a while." Poe says and Eve smiles up at him.

"It's perfect!" Before anything else can be said, another voice joins the conversation.

"Well it looks like I arrived at the perfect time! Congratulations you two." We crane our necks to see who it is, but Alaina seems to recognize the person.

"Lando! It's wonderful that you could make it." She greets and I look to Rey for an explanation.

"Uncle Lando is a close family friend. He isn't actually our uncle, but we all call him that anyways." Suddenly Ben calls out from the window on the other side of the house.

"Dameron! You still willing to be the best man?" Poe looks up and grins.

"Sure am if you're still willing to let me!" He calls back and Ben nods.

"Well you made my cousin happy and we have your suit anyways, so get up here!"

Poe and Eve laugh while he nods. They both start to make their way back to the house but then Xyva suddenly seems to realize who was just speaking. She looks over and, seeing Ben, she reacts in the only way that Xyva does in these situations – by screaming.

"BENJAMIN SOLO, YOU GET BACK IN THAT ROOM AT ONCE! YOU ARE NOT ALLOWED TO SEE ME UNTIL THE WEDDING. IS THAT TOO MUCH TO ASK?!" Rey, Kaydel, and I all wince, covering our ears. We can't see Ben anymore since we quickly jumped back from Xyva, but we hear the quiet "Yes, Dear." before we hear the noise of a window shutting. I look at Rey and we both start laughing. This is going to be an unforgettable day.

* * *

The wedding goes perfectly and, soon enough, we are at the reception. The tables at the reception are set up exactly like they were for Zantos and Kaydel's wedding, so Ben and Xyva are at the head table with the parents to their right and the wedding party to their left. It's great sitting with Rey, Eve, Poe, Zantos, and Kaydel. The dinner is rather uneventful until Ben and Xyva cut the cake. We are all clapping when a familiar voice starts speaking behind us.

"I see that Commander Dameron decided to grace us with his presence this evening." We all jump and turn to see Palpatine giving us one of his slightly frightening smiles from his wheelchair. Snoke is standing behind him, looking bored out of his mind. Poe shifts uncomfortably and Eve clears her throat.

"Great-Grandfather, what a surprise to see you again so soon. Poe, I'd like you to meet my great-grandfather, Sheev Palpatine. Great-Grandfather, this is my fiancé Poe Dameron." Eve makes the introductions and Palpatine gives Poe a scrutinizing glare.

"So I suppose you are to blame for that abomination on her hand." Palpatine quips and Poe raises his eyebrows, glancing down at Eve's hand.

"You mean her engagement ring? Well, yes Sir, that was my doing. I proposed to her this afternoon." It is silent at our table for a moment as Palpatine closes his eyes and lets out a sigh of dismay. Opening his eyes again, he stares pointedly at Eve.

"And you accepted this… pilot? Palpatine spits out the last word in what sounds like disgust. Eve doesn't seem concerned by this and she nods.

"Yes. I accepted his proposal because I love him." She smiles up at Poe and Palpatine looks like he's about to be sick.

"Pity… I had such hopes for my great-grandchildren and one-by-one you have all disappointed me. If you heeded my advice, you would see that true power is only found in the dark side of the force… I should have known that your mother would raise you all to be nothing but disappointments."

With that as his last comment, he motions with a sharp flick of his wrist and Snoke quickly wheels him away from the table. We watch in silence as Snoke moves over towards Luke and Alaina, but we all burst out laughing when each man grabs a slice of cake on their way by the food table.

Not long after that, the dance floor is open. Ben and Xyva remain on the floor and are joined by Snap and Karé. Hux and Rose are the next to get up, followed by Zantos and Kaydel. Poe asks Eve to dance and Rey looks over at me. I stand up and hold out my hand to Rey.

"Shall we?" I ask and she grins, placing her hand in mine.

"I thought you'd never ask!"

We dance with the other couples on the dance floor until Xyva decides it's time to throw the bouquet. The unmarried ladies gather together, but there really isn't much of a point to it because Xyva's toss is clearly a calculated one. Eve isn't even standing with the other women, but the bouquet is suddenly in her arms. She looks up in confusion and everyone starts laughing and clapping. Xyva laughs triumphantly.

"Well, we all know who's going to be married next!" She declares and Ben nods.

"About time too!"

* * *

\- Epilogue -

Well, Eve and Poe were the next ones to get married. They got married the next spring and I think it is safe to say that it was an event we had all been waiting for. Not long after that, Rose and Hux got engaged. They had been dating since the summer, so none of us were overly surprised. They did, however, shock us all when they eloped three weeks later. Apparently, they just wanted to be married without the hassle of planning a wedding and, to be honest, I don't really blame them. Late that summer, Luke and Alaina got their first grandchild. Kaydel gave birth to a girl that they named Carrie and both Kaydel and Zantos were very proud parents. The entire Skywalker and Solo family seemed to make it their lot in life to spoil little Carrie, so she's grown up well-loved.

At Christmas of that year, just over a year after I first met Rey, I proposed to her. I had planned on it being extremely romantic, but I ended up proposing right on the front step of the Skywalker home with the entire family watching us out of the living room window. The second that she said yes, the door burst open and, similarly to the previous year, Leia insisted that we kiss under the mistletoe that seemed to magically appear. Luke once again commented about not remembering putting mistletoe there, and Leia once again gave him a killer look. I turned back to Rey to apologize that I hadn't chosen a quieter setting, but she simply put her arms around my neck and kissed me.

We were married that summer and it was one of the happiest days of my life. I don't remember many of the details from the wedding like whether the flowers were roses or carnations, but I do remember how beautiful Rey looked. We went on a short honeymoon and, when we got back, we moved in to our new home in Ach-to. Luke, Alaina, Leia, and Han all wanted to buy me and Rey a house as a wedding present, but we refused because we felt that we should pay for our own home. They reluctantly agreed, but Leia and Alaina insisted on providing us with some furniture. We found a perfect home in Ach-to, but we chose it partially because of the view. The backyard of the house was a large field that led to the beach. Rey joked that I had finally gotten my field and we wouldn't have to worry about anymore concrete, but I could tell that she loved it too.

It is now our first anniversary. It is late afternoon when I get home. I set my backpack down by the door and notice a note lying for me on the table. I smile, recognizing Rey's handwriting as I pick up the note and read it.

 _Finn,_

 _Meet me outside and bring the sparkling apple juice!_

 _Love, Rey_

I smile at the note and walk over to the fridge, pulling out the desired drink and grabbing two mugs before heading out the door. You may not typically drink sparkling apple juice in mugs, but we are going to be outside and champagne flutes will most likely tip over and spill all over the place.

Rey is sitting on the picnic blanket reading a book and looks up when she hears me getting closer. A smile breaks out across her face and I grin back as I sit down on the picnic blanket next to her.

"You got my note?" She asks and I nod.

"Of course! I brought the drink, didn't I?" I hold up the bottle in question and she chuckles.

"Yes you did… I'm sorry that it can't be champagne this year." She mutters and I shake my head.

"I don't care about that, Rey! I'm with you and that's all that matters." I pass her one mug before wrapping an arm around her. "How are you feeling today?" I ask and she sighs, rubbing her swollen stomach.

"The baby's been kicking up a storm. I think he's going to be an energetic one!" Rey exclaims and I chuckle.

"You know, it could be a girl." I remind her and Rey looks up at me in mock offense.

"Really Finn! You dare question a mother's intuition?" She gasps and I smile.

"Of course you're right, Dear." I say before leaning down and kissing her.

We sit there on the blanket, watching the sun set over the calm ocean. It's a beautiful sunset, but I'm more focused on Rey. I can't believe how lucky I am to be living this life. I have a loving wife, great in-laws, and I will soon have a child too. It took a long time to get to where I am now, but I wouldn't trade it for anything in the world. And to think, this all began that Sunday morning when I was in the market and just happened to see her there…

The End


End file.
